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Innsbruck and the Village

7/29/2022

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This is my third post of my trip to Europe. Click on the highlighted text to read about my first stop Munich and my second stop Lake Garda, Italy.  When I made my travel plans, I decided to break up the long train ride from Roverto, Italy to my village in northern Germany. My friend and I decided to stay in Innsbruck, Austria, for a few days before continuing our journey. We had planned to take the lift up the mountain and hike in the beautiful Tyrolean Alps surrounding Innsbruck. Well, the rainy weather changed our plans. The mountains would have been muddy, with no vistas and a cold rain. 
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So we decided to eat as many Austrian delicacies as possible. We started with a Sacher Torte in the Sacher Cafe next to the Hofburg that we also visited.
Sacher torte
Sacher torte at the Sacher Cafe in Innsbruck
Hofburg
The Hofburg in Innsbruck
Then came the apple strudel with vanilla sauce— nobody makes it as well as the Austrians. Kaiserschmarren (pancakes) with plum jam was my favorite  Of course, let’s not forget clear broth with Griessnockerl (semolina dumpling soup). The first evening, I had spinach dumplings that were to die for. One night at our hotel, after having tasted two desserts that afternoon, we had a small bowl of Hungarian goulash soup. It was the best goulash soup I have ever had
Apfelstrudel with vanilla sauce
Apfelstrudel with Vanilla Sauce
Kaiserschmarren with Italian Plums
Kaiserschmarrem with plum jam
A few facts about Innsbruck: it is the capital of the Tirol Province. Tirol is a popular tourist destination for Germans and lots of Europeans. The landmark in Innsbruck is the Golden Roof in the middle of the town. It was built in 1500 to commemorate the marriage of Emperor Maximilian I and Bianca Maria Sforza. The roof is not covered in gold, but in fire-gilded copper tiles .
Innsbruck

The 500-year-old town is settled in a pleasant valley with Baroque churches, gabled houses, and narrow, twisting walkways. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants with food of the region. After two days of indulging in food, we took the train to my village.
My village
My village in northern Germany
The apartment in my brother’s house (where I usually stay), has a family of three Ukrainian women from Kharkiv living in it. These three women fled with no time to pack anything when they left their home; all they had was a purse and a small bag when they arrived. But my brother got them jobs, and the 14-year-old teenager is going to school. They needed a lot of help filling out forms and papers to get German health insurance and a monthly allowance. Everybody is trying to help. The Ukrainian mother and daughter baked two cakes for a Sunday afternoon coffee. They were delicious and my brother and I       [–  had several pieces.
Picture
Picture
My nephew’s tiny house is an Airbnb on our farm was a perfect place for me to stay this time. I loved every minute in it. It was the perfect retreat to reflect, relax, and enjoy my family. The days were long and I enjoyed visits with my grand nephews and friends. My nephew also took in a Ukrainian woman with two children and a cat. Now he has five teenagers living in his house. We went out for dinner and had coffee and cake with our extended Ukrainian family. Their English is limited, they speak very little German and none of us speaks Russian, which is their language. Sometimes, I just started to cry. Memories of my childhood with all the refugees from the old East Germany came welling up.
https://www.airbnb.de/rooms/45814106?adults=1&s=42&unique_share_id=B1B75
https://www.airbnb.de/rooms/45814106?adults=1&s=42&unique_share_id=B1B75
During my stay in the village, I prepared Matjes Herring with cream sauce and boiled potatoes for the family. Hopefully, I will post the recipe in the near future.
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Picture
Picture
After ten wonderful days, it was time for me to leave and go north. Hamburg was my next destination. I stayed in the same hotel where I always stay, the
Westin above the
Elbephilharmonie in the Hafencity. This time, I just needed a day to rest and see some old friends before continuing on to Copenhagen. The Elbepilharmonie, nicknamed Elphi, always amazes me. It is among the largest concert halls in the world. The glassy construction resembles a hoisted sail or wave built on an old brick warehouse. The view from my room was spectacular. If you visit Hamburg and have some time, don’t miss this part of town. There is so much to see. Read more about the Elphi in a previous post here. My friend from Hamburg and I had had a beautiful dinner at Vlet. This was actually my first gourmet meal for this trip. The food was exquisite.  
​
Hamburg
My hotel, the Westin, above the Elbephilarmonie
Vlet Restaurant
A local fish dish at Vlet Restaurant
Picture
The view of the HafenCity from my window
Hamburg
Green pea soup
Before I knew it, I was in the Hamburg railroad station waiting for my Danish train to Copenhagen. Let me tell you, I do not like the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (main railroad station).
It can be scary with the number of people and the constant construction going on. The station is on three separate levels with the trains departing on the lowest level. There have been times when the escalators didn’t work and I had to carry my suitcase down a long staircase. There are few elevators and they often don’t go the level you need to catch your train. I was lucky this time, and I used the escalator to get to the platform where my Danish train would arrive. I had a delightful conversation with a young man who was waiting for another train to go see his mother. I arrived in Copenhagen after a four hour scenic and interesting train ride . 
Hamburg
leaving Hamburg
Hamburg
My train ride to Copenhagen
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Lake Garda

7/28/2022

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My friend and I left Munich in the morning and embarked on a four-hour scenic train ride over the Alps to a small Italian town called Rovereto. It is located in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy between Lake Garda and the Italian Alps.This was the easiest way to get from Munich to Malcesine on Lake Garda .
Lake Garda
Leaving Munich
Lake Garda
Taking the train through the Italian Alps
My nieces’s husband picked us up and  drove us to our hotel in Malcesine. I could barely wait to hold my baby grand-niece in my arms.
Lake Garda
My niece’s travel agent had found the perfect hotel for all seven of us in Malcesine. It was a simple hotel in a beautiful setting away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. We adults rented rooms and my niece and her husband rented an apartment. This was the perfect (and relatively inexpensive) spot for a family gathering. The breakfast was great, everything was clean and comfortable. The grounds were specular, with a vast olive grove surrounding the hotel and apartments. There was a beautiful landscaped pool and a playground for children. The San Carlo hotel is run by a nice Italian family, and it became our home for one week. My niece’s in-laws arrived from near Berlin and were happy to see their grandchild.
Lake Garda
Our pool
Lake Garda
The San Carlo
Our focus was around the baby, but we still managed to go on boat excursions, and visited different towns around the lake. We never missed an afternoon coffee followed by an Aperol spritz. One day, we four elders visited the town of Riva, where we had a delicious lunch and explored the town while the young people visited a friend nearby.
Lake Garda
Malcesine
Lake Garda
Aperol Spritzers in the afternoon
Lake Garda
Riva on Lake Garda
Lake Garda
Riva del Garda
Another day, all seven of us crossed the lake by boat and visited Limone. Limone is the Italian word for lemon and this part of Lake Garda is renowned for growing lemons and other citrus. Limone is set along a backdrop of rocky cliffs with stunning lakeside scenery. For me, the town had too many tourists, even in May. We ended up having a delicious lunch in a gorgeous setting. I felt like I was in a movie.
Lake Garda
Limone
Lake Garda
lunch in Limone
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Limone
Lake Garda
Limone
Another day, we took a taxi ride to Lazise, which is located southeast of Lake Garda.The wall, by which you enter the pedestrian medieval village, was built in the 14th century.The 12th century church San Nicola has several medieval frescos.There is a a lovely harbor with a promenade lined with colorful houses, many of them restaurants. We had lunch in one of them and enjoyed the ambience of this beautiful setting.
Lake Garda
Lazise
Lake Garda
Lazise
Lake Garda
Lazise
Lake Garda
Lazise
We declared our last day in Malcesine as a chill day and enjoyed the gorgeous pool at our hotel. It was hard to say goodbye the next morning, as I will cherish this week forever . 
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Munich 2022

7/13/2022

24 Comments

 
It’s been a few weeks since I returned from Europe. Over five weeks, I visited five countries by train travel through Europe. There were some challenging moments, but overall I enjoyed this trip immensely. I was so fortunate to be able to do this. This is my first post of my trip , there are more to follow. 
Munich
It took quite a bit of planning to put it all together, but I did it with some help from my niece and her husband. After making all the reservations, I packed light because I had to carry everything on and off trains, not relying on anyone to help me. Although, I did get a lot of help and met some interesting people.
Munich
I arrived In Munich in the early evening and checked into my hotel after a 100-Euro taxi ride from the airport—even though there is a train to downtown that is much cheaper.  Munich is a wonderful city, for my first meal I treated myself to a beer and herring with cream sauce and fried potatoes—one of my standard meals when I arrive in Germany. It was a warm spring night and I was in heaven sitting outside enjoying my meal.
Munich
Munich
Thanks to jet lag, I was up early the next morning, exploring the town and visiting my favorite places. One of them is Dalmeyr an iconic store for food lovers. I bought some pastries for a late night snack.
Munich
Dalmeyer
Dalmeyer
Later in the afternoon, I picked up my friend from the train station. Her train had been delayed by three hours, as the German train system is not what it used to be. 
Ice trains
In the evening , after walking around in Munich we had a typical Bavarian meal outside, surrounded by historic buildings in the center of town. We had fun, enjoying each other over some good beer and food.
Munich
Munich


The following day, we explored the English Garden on a warm sunny day. I missed it the last time I was in Munich (read here about my previous trip). Did you know that the English Garden is one of the largest inner-city parks in the world? It is larger than Central Park in New York. It has 78 kilometers of paths, which is why we rented a bike taxi.
Our driver dropped us off at the beer garden where we had a large beer and some Bavarian Krustenbraten, a pork roast where the skin is made into a crispy crust. I’s delicious, but rich. Keep the anti-acid tablets handy. 
Krustbraten
Before we knew it , our two days in Munich were over and we packed our bags for   our next destination Lake Garda .
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Raspberry Torte

5/6/2022

32 Comments

 
In the 1950s, as a child in Germany, I lived in a small village. Having a torte served in the afternoon was a special treat. My godmother was a gifted baker and made the most beautiful rich tortes. They were filled with buttercream, custard and cream, often in the same cake. After the farm work was done, cakes were baked on Saturday for special occasions and served in the afternoon to what we call in Germany Kaffetrinken, similar to teatime in England. There were often 3-4 different cakes and you had to try them all. These days, I feel guilty when I have even one small piece. 
German Raspberry Torte
This raspberry cake is lighter with lots of raspberries in it. I think my aunt would have liked this cake, but probably would have told me to add some custard or more cream to it. The original recipe comes from Dr. Oetker’s website. I changed it a bit by adding more raspberries and less cream. I decorated one for Valentine’s Day, but any other decoration would be fine. A pastry ring would be helpful when assembling the cake. Another time I used strawberries instead of raspberries but I prefer raspberries for this cake
German Raspberry Torte
I am leaving for Europe in a few weeks on an adventurous trip. I am flying to Munich to meet my German girlfriend. From Munich we will take the train to Lake Garda, Italy, where we will spend a week with my niece’s family and her in-laws.
I am so excited  because I get to see and play my with my great niece. After the week is over my girlfriend and I will take the train to Innsbruck where we will stay for 3 days. Then we will take a long train ride to my village. I will stay in my nephew’s tiny house Airbnb since my brother gave his upstairs apartment to three Ukrainian women from Kharkiv. They need it more than I do. After 10 days I will go on to Copenhagen where I will meet my cooking group to spend a week in Sweden. All in all I will visit five countries, cross your fingers and hope that all works out. I certainly do.
German Raspberry Torte
German Raspberry Torte
German Raspberry Torte
German Raspberry Torte
The cake is thin, but when the filling is added, it turns out fine. Cutting the cake horizontally in half takes a little skill and a large knife. There are tutorials on how to do it with toothpicks and string, but I just did it and it wasn’t difficult. For the cream mixture, I ordered a package of powdered gelatin (with two pouches in it) from Amazon. It is called gelatine fix from Dr. Oetker. I baked the cake a day before I assembled the torte. The torte will last in the fridge for a few days. A cake ring is helpful but not necessary when assembling the torte.
German Raspberry Torte
My next door neighbor and German friend Susanne really liked it. She knows about cakes, or tortes, as we call them in Germany. 
Print the Recipe
The cake  makes 12 large pieces or more smaller pieces

Ingredients:
​

The cake
4.4 ounces ( 125g) soft unsalted butter 
4.4  ounces (125g) sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
3 eggs at room temperature
6  ounces  ( 170g) all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder

The cream mixture
1 pint ( 470ml) heavy cream
12 ounces (340g) frozen raspberries
10 -12 ounces fresh raspberries  
​½  (75g) cup sugar
2 packages gelatine fix from Dr. Oetker
2 TBS lemon juice 
1 tsp. vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

The Cake 
Preheat oven to 350˙ degree Fahrenheit
Grease a 10-inch cake pan with a removable bottom, and cover the bottom with parchment paper. Then butter the parchment paper. 
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
Cream the butter in a mixer. Slowly add the sugar and continue mixing the batter until the batter is creamy. This will take several minutes. 
Add the vanilla extract and then each egg separately, mixing it for a minute before adding another egg. You want a creamy mixture that almost doubles in volume.
Gradually add the flour mixture until barely mixed. 
Add the batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface of the dough. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Run a knife around the inside of the cake pan and carefully loosen the ring around the cake pan and remove it.
Turn the cake onto a rack and remove the parchment paper and flip the cake upside down.

The Filling
For the raspberry sauce, puree the defrosted raspberries in a mixer with the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Press through a sieve to remove the seeds. Chill it in a jar. This can be made a day ahead.
In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream, slowly pouring in the the packages of gelatine fix. When the cream mixture is very thick, mix 1 cup of the raspberry sauce.

Assembling the torte
Cut the cake in half horizontally with a segregated knife
Put the bottom half in the cake ring. 
Cover the cake bottom with about ⅓  or more of the cream mixture.
Drizzle with the raspberry sauce. 
Put raspberries in a circle on the filling.
Add the top part of the cake. 
Cover the top part with the whipped cream mixture.
Take the cake ring off and and put the rest of the whipped cream mixture onto the sides the sides of the cake. 
Decorate the top of the cake anyway you like with the fresh raspberries and some of the sauce. Refrigerate three hours before serving . The cake keeps a couple of days in the fridge.  

​Guten Appetit!
Recipe by Dr.Oetker test kitchen
Adapted and translated by the Sunnycovechef.com

Here are some more of my desserts made with fruit. Click on the photo for the recipe.
Rhubarb Strawberry Torte
German Strawberry Rhubarb Meringue Cake
German Strawberry Shortcake
German Strawberry Shortcake
Blueberry Galette
Blueberry Galette
32 Comments

Chicken Fricassee

4/14/2022

14 Comments

 
Think of chicken fricassee as a chicken pot pie without the pie. It’s a treasured dish, here and in Germany where it is called chicken fricassee (Hühnerfrikassee).
Chicken Fricassee
In this country, it is more of a home-cooked everyday meal, while in Germany its can be a fancy dish. In the 1960s, it was often served at  weddings in a Vol-au-Vent  (a small hollow case of puff pastry). It was part of my wedding dinner when I got married decades ago in Germany.  But more often, chicken fricassee is served with rice, mashed potatoes or noodles. I had it with homemade Spätzle. The vegetables in this dish can vary; when in season asparagus is often added. Peas, carrots and mushroom are called for in most recipes. In the old days, canned white asparagus and canned mushrooms were added .
Chicken Fricassee
I have always enjoyed cooking this dish; it is the essence of comfort food. A few weeks ago, I was the personal chef of a friend of mine who was caring for her father during his last days. I made a big batch using two whole chickens, fresh asparagus, carrots, shiitake mushrooms and peas. I have made much smaller portions using chicken legs or breasts. The dish freezes well. I froze a portion for my husband to have when I go to Germany this spring.
Chicken Fricassee
​I have prepared this dish many times. And I have to say, the secret is in the sauce. I boil the chicken with veggies to make a homemade broth. Usually, I do this a day before. When I was cooking the dish for my friends, I prepared a large casserole and put a sheet of puff pastry on the top. Then I baked it in the oven following the instructions on the puff pastry package. I have also made it with a homemade cream cheese crust in individual serving dishes. If you use a crust, make sure you have plenty of sauce because the dish tends to dry out while baking. That happened to me.
print the recipe

Recipe for Chicken Fricassee 

This recipe will make 8-10 portions. 
Ingredients:
For the chicken broth:
2 small whole chickens
2 carrots 
2-3 celery stalks (with leaves) 
1 onion (with peel)
1 leek (or clean dark leek leaves)
 A  handful of parsley
1bay leaves
1-2 tsp of salt
1tsp garlic salt
1-2 tsp pepper 

The Fricassee:
8 ounces carrots (6 small ones)
6-7 ounces mushrooms 
2 lb. green asparagus 
4 TBs capers
3 TBs butter 
3 TBs flour 
4 or more cups chicken broth 
1 or more cups of milk
½ cup cream or half and half
1 tsp Worcester sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper 
4 tsp. capers 
1-2 TBs fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Cooking the Chicken
Place the chicken pieces or whole chicken in a large pot and add the vegetables. Cover everything with cold water. Bring it to a boil, and skim off the white foam from the top. Reduce the heat and simmer in the covered pot until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.  Cook the chicken breast less until the meat thermometer reads 165° degrees. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl and cool. Discard the skin and bones. Cut or pull the meat into 1-inch pieces. Strain the chicken broth and put the cooled broth in the refrigerator.
 Preparing the vegetables
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and blanch the carrots for about two minutes until they are al dente. Do the same with the asparagus. You have the choice of blanching the mushrooms or sautéing them in a mixture of butter and olive oil over a medium heat. I have done both and honestly I can’t tell the difference.
The sauce and assembling the fricassee 
Melt butter in a large sauce pan, add the flour and whisk for two minutes. Make sure you don’t brown the roux. Gradually add in the chicken broth, one cup at a time. Before you add another cup, whisk the mixture until totally smooth for a creamy sauce. Add milk, Worcestershire sauce, capers, and let the sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add cream or half and half, salt, pepper, freshly ground nutmeg and lemon juice. Add the chicken and bring it all to a simmer, then add the carrots, mushrooms, and asparagus . Season and serve.
If you want to add a crust, put the fricassee in a buttered oven-proof dish, cover the top with the puff pastry, and follow the instructions on the package. Cut some slits in the pastry and bake the dish until golden brown.
​ 
I would like to share with you some blog posts from prior Easter celebration in Germany.  There are so many  traditions and good recipes. Click on the photo for the link.

Chicken Fricassee
Deviled eggs and Easter in Germany
Chicken Fricassee
Lemon Almond Cake and the German Easter Fire
Happy Easter 2022 
and 
Guten Appetit!
from the Sunnycovechef
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Wedding soup

3/11/2022

19 Comments

 
Many of you have followed my blog for years. It feels like a community to me, even though I don’t know each of you personally. There were times when your comments gave me great comfort, especially when I lost my mom and my girlfriend. Your sincere comments and condolence wishes meant a lot to me. Unfortunately, the comments are archived because of my new blog design. I am so sad about that. Maybe some day, I will find someone who can put them back where they belong. When I wrote the blogpost about my mom’s passing, I promised you the recipe for the wedding soup that I make. Well, here it is six years later, and I am finally getting around to doing it. In these times of war and loss we need comfort food.
German Wedding soup from Lower Saxony
There are many versions of wedding soups. Even in Germany, they vary in the different regions. What I am sharing with you is a recipe from Lower Saxony where I am from. I liked this soup ever since I was a child. Whenever I visit Germany I will look for restaurants that serve wedding soup.
German Wedding soup from Lower Saxony
Wedding soup served in a German restaurant.
German Wedding soup from Lower Saxony
Wedding soup from another restaurant in Germany
My favorite in the soup is the egg custard cubes or Eierstich as we call them in Germany. The broth should be almost clear with a few vegetable pieces and egg custard. In my childhood, it was often the first course at a wedding or other celebration. Sometimes meatballs or bone narrow dumplings are added. The wedding soup was supposed to give the just-married couple strength for the upcoming wedding night!
The main ingredients in the soup is the broth. It takes some time and effort to make. I freeze half of the broth.
German Wedding soup from Lower Saxony
The greens for the broth
German Wedding soup from Lower Saxony
The meat and bones
German Wedding soup from Lower Saxony
Blackening the onions
German Wedding soup from Lower Saxony
The finished broth
Print the recipe


​The Recipe For german Wedding Soup

This soup will make about 6 servings depending on the size of the soup bowl. It's a filling soup and it makes a great first course or main meal. 
The egg custard recipe makes more than you need, but I like it as a snack. Sometimes, I like to add tiny meatballs. And sometimes I add pieces of meat to the soup. I got beef bones from the butcher, some of them had bone narrow in them which adds  a strong flavor. I have had wedding soups where the bone narrow was made into dumplings. 
For the broth, use the outer dark green leaves of the leek, because that’s where all the flavor is. Use the peel of the celeriac root and if possible, get a celeriac root with some leaves. That will add a lot of flavor to the broth.

The Broth:
½ to 1 lb. chuck roast
3 lb. center cut beef bones
1 fat  carrot
1 white onion with peel
1 small leek thoroughly cleaned
a few sprigs of parsley
the peel of a celeriac root
3 bay leaves
3 cloves 
1 tsp. whole allspice kernels 
2 tsp. peppercorns
4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Wash and clean all the vegetables thoroughly. Peel the celeriac root and use the peel for the broth and the rest of the root for the soup. Add lemon juice to the pieces of the celeriac root to prevent it from discoloring. Cut the unpeeled onion in half and roast the cut side down in a frying pan until turns black. Use all of the leek, including the green leaves. If you want, you can use some of the white part of the leek in the finished soup. 
Heat 12 cups of water in a large pot and just before the water boils, add the meat, spices, and the vegetables. I have never done it this way, but it seems to work. When the broth comes to a boil, skim the foam off. Reduce the heat and simmer the broth covered for at least four hours. Let the broth cool a little bit and remove all the large vegetable pieces and meat. Discard the vegetables and bones. Cut the meat into small pieces and save. Ladle the broth through a sieve covered with a piece of gauze or thin towel. This way, you get rid of all the spices and protein pieces from the meat. I put my broth in the fridge and remove the hardened fat the following day. 

Things that go into the soup:

The Vegetables:
1 fat peeled carrot cut into small cubes
About 2 cups peeled celeriac root  cut into small cubes

Meatballs :
You can double this recipe and freeze half of the meatballs when you make the soup again with the leftover frozen broth.

Ingredients:
¼ lb. ground beef
1 2-inch piece of baguette 
salt
pepper
a pinch of nutmeg

Directions:
Soak the piece of baguette in milk until soft. Squeeze out all the liquid and mix with the meat, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Roll into little balls and boil in salted water for about five minutes. Drain and put them aside for the soup. 

Egg Custard:

Ingredients :
3 eggs 
whole milk (equal to the volume of the eggs)
salt
pepper
a pinch of nutmeg

Directions:
Measure the volume of the eggs and then add the same amount of whole milk. Puree the milk, eggs, salt pepper and nutmeg in a blender (or use an inversion blender). Line a container with a fitting lid with plastic wrap. (I used a plastic container.) Pour the egg mixture into the lined container, put the lid on and emerge the container into a pot with simmering water. Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes or until the custard has set. Once the custard is done, flip the container over a plate, remove the plastic and cool the custard. Cut into small cubes.

The Soup:
Reheat the broth, add the cooked meatballs, the meat, the vegetables and simmer for about  8-10 minutes. Ladle the soup into a bowl, add some egg custard and sprinkle with some chopped parsley.

Guten Appetit!
Recipe from Callekocht Hochzeitssuppe ( YouTube)
Translated and adapted by Sunnycovechef.com
German Wedding soup from Lower Saxony
19 Comments

Duck Breast

2/8/2022

14 Comments

 
Duck is my all-time favorite food. I am obsessed with duck confit. Because of that, I have neglected the succulent and tender duck breast, a delicacy that takes very little time and knowledge to prepare. Just follow a few simple steps and you will have an elegant and delicious dinner. Add your favorite vegetable and salad—and a your special dinner is ready.
Seared Duck breast
When I was planning my dinner with the duck breasts, I was looking for an alternative to my calorie-laden mashed potatoes or my fried potatoes in duck fat. I found a recipe for celery root purée that I like very much. It is from Dorie Greenspan’s book Around my French Table, and like so many of her recipes, it turned out great. I reduced the amount of butter by half. The duck breast and the purée complemented each other perfectly. Another time, I served it with my stuffed pasta shells.
Seared Duck breast
Several years ago, when I was at the culinary Institute in the Napa Valley, I bought Thomas Keller’s  book ad hoc at home. It has many good recipes that I want to make. I used his recipes for duck breast several times over the years and have loved every bite. I tweaked the recipe just a little bit.
Seared Duck breast
I made this recipe during the pandemic with three small duck breasts. I think one medium-sized breast per person is plenty. One of the key elements to an excellent duck breast is crisping the skin properly. The skin needs to be scored so the fat can quickly render away. Cook the breasts slowly with the skin down, pouring off the fat as it cooks. Never, ever throw duck fat away. I keep mine in the fridge for months or freeze it and use it on my red cabbage or fried potatoes—and anything else I can think of. In this recipe, the duck breast is cured for up to 24 hours (adding spices and aromatics for the last 12 hours).
Seared Duck breast
Seared Duck breast
Seared Duck breast
Print REcipe

THE RECIPE FOR SEARED DUCK BREST


Ingredients:

Serves 2 
2-3 duck breasts (depending on size)

1 thyme twig per breast
1 bay leaf per breast
1 TBS orange zest for 2 breasts
balsamic vinegar 
grated nutmeg
1 tsp canola oil
grey salt or other coarse sea salt
½ cup of white wine

Directions:
One day before serving the breasts, defrost them. After they are defrosted, wipe the breast dry and put them on a plate uncovered skin up in the fridge for about 12 hours. To score the skin, the breasts have to be cold. Use a sharp knife, cutting a ¼-inch crosshatch pattern in the skin being careful not to pierce the meat. Season the flesh side of each breast with salt, pepper and a little bit of grated nutmeg. Sprinkle the orange zest and a few drops of balsamic vinegar over the breasts. Lay a thyme twig in the middle of each breast and cover it with a bay leaf. On a plate covered with a paper towel, turn the breasts over and put them on the paper towel. Sprinkle the skin side with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1-12 hours (but at least one hour). I prepare mine the morning before I cook them, about 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
 
Discard aromatic spices, blotting away any moisture from the duck breasts. Season both sides of the breast with a pinch of salt. 
In a large frying pan, add canola oil and the duck breasts duck skin-side down. Sauté at low-medium heat. After about 5 minutes, the fat should begin to gently bubble. Maintain this bubbling, removing excess rendered fat with a large spoon by tilting the frying pan. Be careful not to burn yourself. If the fat hits the flame, it will cause a flare-up. Cook the duck breasts until most of the fat has been rendered: the skin will be golden brown and crisp. The internal temperature should read 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Flip each breast to the fleshy side and cook it for 30 seconds. Put the duck skin-side down in the oven and cook for about 5 minutes. The temperature should be 125 degrees for a rosy medium rare. Take the duck breast out of the pan, cover it with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. In the meantime, deglaze the frying pan by adding half a glass of white wine. Add any juices that have accumulated on your plate with the duck breasts to the sauce. If you like, add a little orange juice and swirl some butter into the sauce. (This step is optional.)

Slice the duck breast and serve it with a vegetable you like. I envision some
​ red cabbage with potatoes fried in duck fat. Pour some of the sauce over the duck. A citrus-flavored salad would be a nice addition. The possibilities are endless. 
Click here for my  jumbo shells stuffed with Swiss chard and artichokes.
Click here for Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for “Go-With-Everything Celery Root   Puree.”
This is a wonderful meal for a special person. Have fun, enjoy, and tell me if you liked it.                                                   

Guten Appetit!
Recipe by Thomas Keller 
Adapted by © Sunnycovechef.com

Lemon Mousse (Zitronenspeise) would make a perfect light ending to a special meal. Almond pear tart would top it all off. You decide which one!
​
Lemon Mousse , Zitronenspeise
Lemon Mousse
Almond Pear Tart
Almond Pear Tart
14 Comments

Baked Salmon with Vegetables

1/15/2022

22 Comments

 
I have been playing in my kitchen with gusto. I was obsessed with making duck confit and cooking for friends. My girlfriend’s brother came from Switzerland and he so appreciated getting a home-cooked meal. I cooked some local dishes for him. One night we had cioppino with local Dungeness crab. Another time, my husband made his famous crab salad. I will have have to post the recipe one of these days. It’s difficult because his dressing is always different depending on what we have in the kitchen. He doesn’t follow recipes.
Baked Salmon with fennel and leeks
The recipe I am posting today is one I found in one of my cookbooks titled A Little Taste of France. I was looking for a lighter dish to serve my book club. In the cookbook, the dish is made with a whole trout and I would make it that way if I could find fresh trout. I thought local salmon would be a good substitute. I omitted the cream but added some potatoes to the dish. This is basically a sheet pan dish that is so popular in the blogging world right now. It has a nice flavor because it uses vermouth, a nice French addition to the dish. Homemade fish stock would be great for this dish, but I decided to use Better Than Bouillon Fish Base which was fine. 
Baked Salmon with fennel and leeks
I love the fennel and the leeks in this dish. Make sure you buy the fennel with the fronds. You can buy four individual salmon filets or one large piece.  
Baked Salmon with fennel and leeks
Baked Salmon with fennel and leeks
Baked Salmon with fennel and leeks
Baked Salmon with fennel and leeks
Print Recipe

The Recipe for Salmon with leeks, Fennel, carrots and potatoes 


serves 4
Ingredients:
​

1 ½ lb. salmon 
2 fennel bulbs, with fronds
1 large leek, the white part only
2  carrots
2 yellow Finn potatoes
2 TBS olive oil 
2 TBS capers, rinsed
1 oz (25g) butter 
several lemon slices
¾ cup (185ml) fish stock
¼ cup (60ml) dry vermouth
2 TBS chopped parsley
1 lemon 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 º Fahrenheit (200 º Celsius)
Cut off the fennel fronds from the bulb and put them aside. Slice the fennel bulbs into thin slices crosswise. Clean the carrots and slice them into bite-sized pieces. Do the same with the potatoes. Slice the leek into ½ inch slices. Give it a thorough bath in a tub of water and make sure all the dirt is removed. Drain the leeks in a colander. Put the vegetables on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the veggies with the oil and the seasoning. Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, chop one of the fennel fronds and mix it with about 2 TBS of capers and  finely chopped shallots.

When the vegetables are almost done, make a space for the salmon in the pan. Pour the vermouth and stock over the salmon. Add slices of butter on top of the salmon. Sprinkle the capers, fennel and frond mixture over the salmon. Top the fish  with thinly cut lemon slices. Bake for about 15 minutes (or an internal temperature of 145° F). You want to undercook (not overcook) the salmon. Sprinkle the dish with parsley before serving. 
​
Guten Appetit!
Recipe adapted from the cookbook:
A Little Taste of France 
Posted by Sunnycovechef.com


Salmon baked with fennel , leeks,
salmon with vegetables for two
Fish baked in Parchment paper
fish cooked in parchment paper
Salmon in crepes
crepes with salmon and fennel

You might also like my recipe for fish baked in parchment paper which uses anchovies and green beans with tomatoes, a tasty Mediterranean dish. Or if your are looking for an elegant dinner check out my crepes with salmon and fennel filling. In Italy it is called Cannelloni Ripieni.  By preparing these tasty seafood dishes we can pretend that we are in Italy or France.
​Stay safe my friends and be well.
22 Comments

Duck Confit

12/20/2021

18 Comments

 
​Those who read my blog know about my love affair with duck, especially duck confit, duck legs cooked in their own fat. It is a classic dish from Gascony, in the southwest region of France. It is super delicious, tender, moist, and full of flavor. Confit means preserved in French. Before refrigeration this was the preferred method to preserve meat by submerging it in fat to produce an air-blocking seal. I order duck confit whenever I am in France. Duck confit should be silky, with tender meat and a crispy skin. I have used it in different recipes such as duck quesadillas, one of my favorite meals. I won a prize for this recipe and it was served at Shadowbrook, a restaurants in Capitola.
easy duck confit
For years I bought duck legs at Costco. They came from D’Artagnan , a company that sells high quality fowl and meat from small farms, and their products are excellent. But now our Costco stopped carrying them. I could order them from D'Artagnan but I wanted to  make them myself. I tried different ways. First I made them, the traditional way. They were delicious  but you need a large refrigerator to keep the legs in a jar of fat. I don’t have that space, so I tried different recipes and some of them were ok, but I was looking for a more authentic recipe. While researching I came upon a video from Bon Apppetit that I tried and liked very much. I have made it several times now and I am very happy with the results.  It’s easy and takes little effort, but it does take time to cook. This is an especially good project for a rainy day or when you are working from home. You don’t have to pay much attention while it is in the oven for about 6 hours at low heat. Each step can be prepared a day ahead. The last time I started making  them in my little cabin in the mountains. I put the rub on but then PGE turned the electricity off due to high winds and extreme fire danger. Back home they went and I started cooking them the night we got home and finished them the next day They were absolutely delicious. My husband declared them to be the best ever.
easy duck confit
easy duck confit
easy duck confit
easy duck confit
I made four legs the first time but I recommend making six. That gives you some leftovers that are great in different recipes like my duck quesadillas or just add them to a salad. I have added them to my lentil salad and it makes scrumptious meal.
easy duck confit
In this recipe the duck legs are rendered in their own fat just like traditional duck confit. I have served my legs with fried or mashed potatoes and always with my red cabbage.
Print the Recipe

The Recipe for Duck Confit legs

This recipe makes 4 or 6 legs. I would recommend 6 legs. 
Ingredients :

6 duck legs
  
for the rub:

2 TBS peppercorns 
2 TBS coriander seeds 
3 Tbs kosher salt


The aromatics

3 pieces of 1 inch ginger 
1 jalapeño pepper or other hot pepper  (optional) 
1 head of garlic


Directions :

With a sharp knife puncture the skin of the duck legs, trying not to puncture the meat. Turn the legs over and puncture the fat pocket on the inside of the legs. Doing this will help the fat flow out of the legs. The legs need to be immersed in fat to cook them confit style. 
Crush the peppercorn and coriander seeds lightly with a mortar and pestle, add salt and mix together. It’s important that you cover the legs with the mixture, especially the salt. Put the legs in a ziplock bag and keep them in the fridge for 10-12 hours or overnight. When you take the legs out of the bag brush off the spices and most of the salt, I use a paper towel for that. 
Put the duck legs in a dutch oven with  the skin side down. They are going to shrink as they cook. Half the ginger and score the fleshy side. I added ½ seeded jalapeño pepper. Cut the garlic bulb in half and add all your aromatics to the pot. Add ½ cup of water, put the pot with the lid on in a 250˙ degree preheated oven. After one hour check the duck legs. The fat will have started to render.  Move the legs around a little bit without breaking the skin. Put them in the oven for another hour.  After they have been in the oven for two hours turn the duck legs over skin side up making sure that the meat is still immersed in the fat. Cook for another 2 hours. Take them out of the oven and put the legs on a baking sheet to finish them in a 450 ˙degree preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes until the skin is crispy and has released most of its fat. Make sure you don’t burn them. That would be a shame. I often keep the legs in the fridge and crisp them the next day. In the meantime drain the fat, discard the aromatics . Put the fat in a container. It will last for months in the fridge  and will take fried potatoes to another level. I also put it in my red cabbage .
If you decide to make this I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I enjoyed watching the video.

Guten Appetit!
​Click on the link below to watch the video
Recipe from the Test Kitchen of Bon Appetit by Carla Lalli Music
Posted by ©Sunnycovechef.com
​
My dear readers I hope that the magic of Christmas fills every corner of your heart and home with joy-now and always. Enjoy the holidays and have fun with friends and family.
​
Just in case you still need some ideas for Christmas. I won't be making my standing rib roast this year because we are going to a friend's house for dinner. Instead I will bring my cranberry sauce and chestnut shiitake mushroom stuffing and my country pâté. And of course will share some of the cookies I made.  Poached pears will make a light and easy desert if you depot add ice cream. 
chestnut stuffing
Chestnut shiitake mushroom stuffing
Country Terrine
French Country Páte
Cranberry sauce
cranberry sauce
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Poached Pears
18 Comments

Germany in Autumn

11/18/2021

30 Comments

 
Every time I return from Germany, I am in the in-between transition state. Some of me is still in Germany and the other half is trying to readjust to my normal life in California. Visiting Germany has never been a vacation, but more about reconnecting with a deeper part of myself—a part of myself that I left behind many years ago.
Germany in Autumn
An old barn in the heath country near Lüneburg
Enough of that, let’s talk about my latest trip. Because of COVID, I wasn’t sure I was going until about two weeks before my departure. Because of that, I missed getting my German Rail pass in the mail. I now have an unused one here in the States because it arrived a day after I left. My advice is to buy your pass at the main railroad station in Frankfurt. I don’t know if they sell them anywhere else. The reason I buy a pass is because it gives me the freedom to choose any train at any time. For example, I was able to leave earlier than planned for Berlin because of bad weather. I wasn’t committed to a particular train at a particular time.
Berlin Railroad Station
Berlin Railroad Station
​The first week I stayed in my village reconnecting with friends and family I had not seen for over two years. I took care of other business too. Throughout my stay, the weather was beautiful, crisp autumn days with the dimming light of the season in northern Europe. It rained only a few times. One of the highlights of that week was taking my family and friend Monika out for dinner to an Italian restaurant in the nearby town of Northeim. In Germany, even in the small country towns, you will find Italian or Greek restaurants, an Italian ice cafe and a Turkish döner stand. Our food that night was delicious and everybody had a great time.
I left my village  mid-week to spend two wonderful days in Hamburg. I had a room in the Westin, located above the Elbe Philharmonic Hall. This place is phenomenal, a shimmering wave of glass built on a solid brick warehouse. One of the concert halls was built in the middle of the Elbe river. The place has a publicly accessible viewing platform that has amazing views of the city and harbor. This is my second time there and I am always in awe. 
The Elbphilhamornie  Hamburg
Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg
The Elbphilhamornie  Hamburg
The Concert Hall
Elbphilarmonie in Hamburg
My friend who has lived in Hamburg for decades gave me a grand tour of the city. One of the foods I always have when visiting Germany is Matjes herring. Matjes are young, female herrings who haven’t laid eggs yet (virgins). In Germany, they are served different ways. In Hamburg and northern Germany, you can buy them on a bun. My friend, Elli, showed me where you can buy the best herring buns (Matjes Brötchen). Next to the fish market is the restaurant Rive where we had dinner the second evening. This restaurant offers good food with a view of the harbor.
Hamburg
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Hamburg is a major tourist destination and I hope to visit it many more times.
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Hamburg
Then it was off to Lüneburg. It is a beautiful and well-preserved medieval town and very livable with a vibrant inner city that has stores for everyone. Read more about Lüneburg and Berlin on a previous blog post. I have visited Lüneburg many times because my niece lives there with her husband and new baby. There is nothing better than holding a tiny baby in your arms.

From Lüneburg, I went to Berlin for a few days. I invited my 16-year-old grand nephew to join me. We had a very good time together. I showed him the city and my friend, Tara, introduced him to Thai food. He loved it. As the oldest of three children, he was an agreeable and delightful travel companion. I enjoyed his company.
Berlin
A good German breakfast
Berlin
Pad Thai
I spent one day by myself in Berlin and loved it. It was a beautiful autumn day. I had dropped my grand nephew at the train station and walked from there through the Reichstag and Brandenburger Gate. It was a spiritual experience that took me back decades. Memories flooded back in my mind, images of death and despair. In the 70s, I saw an East German refugee being shot at the wall. 

The Brandenburg Gate
After Berlin, It was back to my village for a birthday celebration and family gatherings.
Autumn in Germany

​As for COVID, Germany seems to have gotten it together after a very rocky start and no vaccines in the beginning. Everyone is being tracked; you have to show an app or in my case (as a foreigner) a vaccination card to enter a restaurant, theater, hotel and more. For two dollars, you can buy a self-test which is used frequently. I tested myself for the new baby and when I returned from Berlin. Just because I am adventurous doesn’t mean I should endanger my family or anybody else. I never felt unsafe. Everybody wears a medical mask inside and in public places. To re-enter the US, I had to take a PCR test 72 hours before my departure flight, which I did at a local train station. A young, extremely helpful person person downloaded the appropriate app on my phone and I was all set. United has a travel-ready site where I downloaded all the needed information. All I had to do at the airport was to check in my luggage and show my passport. It's important to prepare and do your homework in advance.
Santa Cruz
All in all, I am so happy I decided to go and would do it again tomorrow. But I was equally happy to be reunited with the old man and the sea.
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Thanksgiving is next week. Here are some of my recipes I have used over the years. It has become a tradition with my family to serve my red cabbage for the holidays. And then there is my cranberry sauce, as well as the chestnut, shiitake mushroom stuffing which I have made for many years.If you want a delicious turkey sandwich, try my cranberry ketchup, a real treat.
Here is the link for the recipes.
I wish you all a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving , sharing  good food with family and friends.
30 Comments

Scallops on Potato GALETTES with Leeks and peas

9/22/2021

27 Comments

 
Most of us are familiar with Botticelli’s painting called the Birth of Venus. In this beautiful painting, the goddess is emerging from the sea standing on a scallop shell. To me, this painting emphasizes beauty, self-reliance and elegance. 
Scallops on potato galettes with leeks and peas
In the world of food scallops are a delicacy that deserve special attention when being prepared. They are a tender and delicate, sweet and flavorful seafood. There are many varieties of scallops, bay scallops being the small ones and the large sea scallops, reaching 1½ inches to 2 inches in diameter.  In this recipe, I use large sea scallops. Whenever possible, the dry-packed sea scallops are best. The wet scallops are packed in a phosphate solution, and when cooked, extra liquid drains out into the pan. So instead of searing, you will boil your scallops. Although there are the divers scallops which are individually harvested by divers—very expensive but ecological better . Here in the US, the meat we call “scallop” is firm and white. It is what you get when you buy scallops in the grocery store. Another part of the scallop is called the “coral,” soft and brightly colored and available outside the US when you buy the scallop in the shell. It’s delicious, as I’ve had it a few times. The most famous dish with scallops is the acclaimed Coquilles St. Jaques.
Scallops on potato galettes with leeks and peas
I am leaving for Germany in a few days. I am still not sure if I will be able to go, so wish me the best. The rules are changing constantly.  I am so excited to travel again. It’s been a long time since I saw my German family and ate some good German food. I get to hold a new baby in my arms . That alone is worth the journey
Scallops on potato galettes with leeks and peas
The family farm
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My  scallop dish comes from a recipe I found in a magazine years ago. Unfortunately, I can’t give credit to whoever developed this dish because I can’t find any information on the internet. Thank you to the chef who came up with this delicious recipe. The combination of the different ingredients is perfect. The leeks and peas complement the delicate flavor of the scallops, while the mini-potato galettes act as a foil to the tender scallops. The bacon adds some crunch and wakes up the palettes. Altogether, this exquisite meal is light and delicate. A special meal for a special person in your life.
Scallops on potato galettes with leeks and peas
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Make sure you buy the best scallops available. I usually buy mine frozen at Whole Foods when they are on sale. Defrost the scallops in the fridge and don’t thaw them at room temperature or in the microwave. The scallops will be ruined if you don’t dry them completely before searing them or if you overcook them. You will end up with a rubbery mess. What a shame! I made the recipe several times during our lockdown for just my husband and myself. We enjoyed every bite with a nice glass of wine. I like to serve three to four large scallops per person. This is a light elegant main course that tastes great with a green salad with a citrus dressing. 
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Scallops on potato galettes with leeks and peas
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Print the recipe

The Recipe For Scallops on Potato GALETTES  with leeks and peas

This recipe serves four people. A mandolin will cut the potato in very thin slices. 
​
Ingredients:
 

Pea Purée 
1 ½ cups 7oz. 200g  frozen peas thawed
½-1 cup vegetable broth (the amount depends on the desired consistency of your puree)
Salt and pepper to taste

Scallops and Leeks
6 bacon slices of hickory smoked bacon
3 TBS butter, divided 
4 leeks (about 4 cups)
16 large sea scallops 
1 TBS olive oil
Salt and pepper
​
Potato Galettes 
5 TBS olive oil or more 
2  8-ounce potatoes

Directions:
This dish needs to be timed correctly. The leeks and pea purée can be made ahead of time but the scallops and potato galettes need to be done as close to dinner as possible. Warm the serving plates in the oven, and when it is time to serve, plate the food. Put the leeks on the bottom of the dish, add one or two potato galettes, and top with four scallops. Add the juices from the frying pan over the scallops. Pour the pea purée around the food and sprinkle the whole thing with bacon. It makes a stunning presentation.  

Pea Purée 
Purée the defrosted peas (10 ounces) with ½ to 1 cup of broth until smooth. Adjust the pea purée to your taste. I like mine smooth and a little runny. I used my Vita Mix to get a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper. This can be made one day ahead, but cover and refrigerate it. Reheat it and before serving, and thin it with broth if the purée is too thick. 

Scallops and Leeks 
Heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the food warm.

Cut the bacon into ½-inch slices and sauté in a heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on a paper towel and keep warm in the oven.

Use only the white part of the leeks. I freeze the green part to use in making broth. If the leek is large, quarter the white part lengthwise and then slice it into small slices. Wash them in a bowl of water and drain. You want about 4 cups of leeks.

Melt 2 TBS of butter in a large frying pan, add the leeks and sauté until they they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup of water, cover, and simmer until the leeks are very tender but not brown. Cook until the liquid has evaporated, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Put the leeks in an oven-proof dish and keep them warm in the oven. 

Dry the scallops on paper towels until there is no moisture left. You might have to repeat this.  Put the dry scallops on paper towels and season them on all sides with salt and freshly ground pepper. Melt remaining 1 TBS of butter with the oil in a large large frying pan over high heat until hot. Add scallops one at a time and leave them alone for about 2 minutes. This is how they get a nice sear. Turn them over for a minute or so and remove them to a plate. You want the scallops just opaque in the center.  Deglaze the frying pan with a little bit of white wine that your husband has opened and served you in a glass. Pour the juices that have accumulated on the plate with the scallops into the frying pan with the sauce.  I cook the scallops last, when I am finished with my potato galettes.

Potato Galettes
I use the same frying pan for the bacon, leeks and scallops. I wipe the pan clean in between with paper towels. For the potato galettes, I use my cast iron frying pan. Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/16-inch-thick rounds. I used my mandoline for this. The potatoes will discolor quickly, so I prepare them as soon as they are peeled. Heat a little bit of oil in the frying pan and carefully arrange potato slices in a round circle in skillet, overlapping slightly and forming a 3 ½-4 inch circle. I made three galettes at a time. Cook until each galette is golden brown on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the galettes over with a wide spatula (rearrange if they fall apart) and cook until potatoes are tender.  Keep the galettes warm in the oven. They are best eaten right away. If you keep them warm for a long time, they will become soft and soggy.

Guten Appetit!
recipe author unknown
adopted by©Sunnycovechef.com

​
Here are some ideas for deserts to go with this special meal. Click on the photo for the link.
Black Forest  Chocolate Mouse
Black Forest Chocolate Mouse
Poached Pears
Poached Pears
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Almond Pear Tart
27 Comments

Chicken ENCHILADAS  in a White Sauce

9/1/2021

25 Comments

 
These delicious enchiladas will feed a crowd. They can be made ahead of time, and then baked just before serving. They are perfect for a family gathering or a potluck. I decided to make them for my book club and for my son, who was visiting. I thought I could share some of them with my neighbors, but we ate them all. If any survive, leftover enchiladas are real treat warmed up in the microwave.
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas in a white sauce
I got carried away and cooked two chickens to make a homemade chicken broth. I separated the breast from the chicken (bone in). I added two sad looking leeks, a peeled and cut celeriac root, one carrot, two bay leaves, one head of garlic (halved), an onion, some shiitake mushrooms, and some parsley sprigs in a large pot. I added the chicken parts and enough water to cover the mess. I let it boil for 1 ½ hours, removing the the chicken breasts after 20 minutes. I ended up with a flavorful broth that I seasoned with salt and  pepper. I made the broth a day before I made the enchiladas.
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas in a white sauce
Now, there are many alternatives for the cooked chicken. The easiest would be a rotisserie chicken you get in the store. Or you can roast or boil your favorite chicken parts. I have to say that my cubed chicken breast was succulent and flavorful. These enchiladas were full of flavor and creamy—the perfect comfort food. 
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas in a white sauce
I am still working on improving my blog , it is not easy and very time consuming. I’m also starting to travel and volunteering again. Life is very full for me and I find the need to rest more than usual. I do enjoy blogging and testing recipes. The kitchen is my place to be creative—and very messy. And my husband always cleans it up. I am so happy to have him as my partner.
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas in a white sauce
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas in a white sauce
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas in a white sauce
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas in a white sauce
Print the Recipe
  The Recipe for Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas 
You will need one large or two smaller baking pans. I made 15 enchiladas  which will serve 6-8 people.
​
Ingredients:
15 flour tortillas (taco size)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
12 ounces shredded Mexican blend cheese

The Sauce
7 TBS butter  
9 TBS flour
6 cups chicken broth 
1 (4-ounce) can diced chilis
½ cup salsa verde 
½  cup crème fraîche  
½ cup half and half  
a pinch of chipotle peppers
salt and pepper to taste
​
The Filling
6-7 cups cooked, diced chicken 
1 cup slivered almonds 
1 (6 ounces ) Kalamata olives, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella
¾ cup of the sauce
salt and pepper to taste


​
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas in a white sauce
Directions:
The Sauce
Melt the butter over medium heat, stir in the flour and let it cook and thicken for one or two minutes (don’t let it brown or burn). Add the chicken broth (one cup at a time) and whisk it each time until it is smooth. You don’t want lumps in your sauce. Cook the sauce for 6-7 minutes until it thickens slightly. Add the can of chilis and salsa. Add the crème fraîche and the half and half and whip the mixture until smooth. Sometimes I add more crème fraîche to make the sauce thicker. The sauce can be made a day ahead, but heat it up before using it. 
The Filling
Mix the chicken, almonds, shredded mozzarella, and olives in a large bowl. Add the sauce and season it with salt, pepper and a pinch of dried chipotle peppers. 
The Enchiladas 
Preheat the oven to 350˙Fahrenheit
I had to use two dishes to bake the enchiladas: 
1 10” x15” and one 
1  8”x 11“ dish
Spray both dishes with a nonstick cooking spray. Add about ½ cup of sauce to the bottom of the pan. Place a large spoonful of filling on each tortilla. Roll it up and put them in a dish seam-side down. Once all the enchiladas are cuddling together, pour the sauce over them. The sauce should come up to about ⅓ of the pan. Sprinkle mozzarella and Mexican blend cheeses over the enchiladas. Cover the dishes with foil and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling and the cheese should be slightly browned. 
The Garnish
sour cream or crème fraîche 
cilantro 
your favorite salsa 
sliced avocados or guacamole 

Guten Appetit!
Recipe by ©Sunnycovechef.com
​
Here are some of my other recipes you may like. Click on the photo to get the recipe.
Turkey Enchiladas
Turkey Enchiladas in Red Sauce
Slow roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Lemon Bread
Lemon Tea Bread
25 Comments

Very Berry Ice cream

8/9/2021

10 Comments

 
Our farmer’s Market still sells beautiful fresh berries. I love to eat them right from the basket, savoring their different flavors and sweetness. Berries make such great desserts and treats. My favorite berries are probably raspberries. This very berry ice cream goes well with my chocolate sorbet. It's a great combination between the richness of the berry ice cream and the deep chocolate flavor of the sorbet.
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I came upon this ice cream recipe in a copy of Allrecipes magazine. I like the ingredients and how easy it is to make. I used my Vitamix to puree the berries and prepare the ingredients. This is a rich, creamy dessert that will stick to your gum. Although the original recipe calls for two cups of cream, I reduced it to one cup of half and half and one cup whipping cream. For the milk I used what I had in the fridge which was 2% milk.  If you decide to make this ice cream, you can use all cream and different fruits, or just one type of fruit. This ice cream is not as sweet as commercial ones, and I like it that way. If you like it sweeter, increase the amount of sugar. The possibilities are endless.
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Print the recipe
 The  Recipe for Very Berry Ice Cream
You will need an ice cream maker and food processor or mixer to make this recipe.
It makes about 8 servings. It is best when it comes out of the ice cream maker or is  frozen for only  a few hours.

Ingredients:


⅔ cup fresh blackberries 
⅔ cup fresh blueberries
⅔ cup fresh raspberries
⅓ cup sugar 
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla 
1 cup cream
1 cup half and half 
½ cup milk (I used 2%)
​
​

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Directions:

Purée the berries, sugar, and lemon zest in a mixer or food processor. Let it stand or 10 minutes. 
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove all the seeds. Put the purée back into the mixer or food processor.Add the rest of the ingredients and purée until is mixed well.
Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacture’s directions. My old cranky ice cream maker needed 25 minutes. 
Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until firm. Take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it sit for a few minutes to soften before serving. 
Guten Appetit!
Recipe from Allrecipes Magazine
Adapted by©Sunnycovechef.com
More recipes
click on the photo to link to the post
Fregolotta
Fregolotto , an Italian shortbread tart
Italian Plum Tart
A German plum tart called Zwetschgen Kuchen
Rote Grütze , a fresh fruit compote with vanilla sauce
Rote Grütze, a German fruit compote with vanilla sauce
10 Comments

Chocolate Cherry Sorbet

7/13/2021

16 Comments

 
It has been a hot summer, even on our usually cool and foggy coast. On those warm days, visions of ice cream pop into my mind—so very satisfying when the icy sweetness hits your tongue. My absolute favorite ice cream is right here in Santa Cruz and it is made by the the Penny Ice Creamery. Treat yourself and your loved ones when you are in Santa Cruz. If you can’t come to Santa Cruz and if you an have an ice cream maker you might enjoy this creamy, velvety, bitttersweet chocolate sorbet. It is divine and so easy to make. All you need is a good red cherry jam, Dutch processed cocoa and a little sugar. This would be the perfect dessert for someone that is vegan.
Chocolate cherry Sorbet
I found this 12-year old  recipe in my ice cream folder. In the original recipe from Cooking Light,  it was made with a fresh cherry compote. Because I had some fresh cherries, and that’s exactly what I did. The second time I made it was for my book club luncheon. I had about a cup of frozen cherries left that I chopped and added to the sorbet five minutes before it was finished. I think you could also make this sorbet with apricot jam or other fruits. I am going to try that when cherry season is over.
Chocolate cherry Sorbet
I have been experimenting with different flavors of ice cream. One didn’t make the cut, but another turned out tasty and went well with the chocolate sorbet. It is made with cream and fresh berries and I hope to post it later.
Chocolate cherry Sorbet
This sorbet took 4o minutes to freeze, but my ice cream maker is 40 years old and lives in our garage because of the awful noise it makes. Making this sorbet is a three-day process. Once you mix the ingredients, they need to be refrigerated overnight for the flavors to blend. After freezing the sorbet, it needs to harden in the freezer for another day. For some reason, the sorbet melts quickly after serving it. My book club members and family enjoyed this treat.
Chocolate cherry Sorbet
The Recipe
You will get about a pint of sorbet, enough for 6 smallish servings.
​You will need an ice cream maker and a mixer 
Print the recipe

​Ingredients:

Sorbet:

¾ cup red cherry jam
½ cup  unsweetened Dutch cocoa 
¼ cup of sugar
a pinch of salt
2 cups water

​
Compote: 
a pound of pitted cherries
¼ cup sugar



​
Chocolate cherry Sorbet
Chocolate cherry Sorbet

​Directions:

Sorbet:
​Put the jam, cocoa, pinch of salt, and sugar in a heavy saucepan and mix with a whisk. Gradually add two cups water, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to stir with a whisk.  Put the mixture in a bowl, cool to room temperature, cover and chill overnight. This is important as the flavors need to develop. 
The next day, pour the mixture in your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Mine took 40 minutes, but I have a very old and cranky ice cream maker. 
Spoon the sorbet into a container and freeze overnight. 
Compote:

For the cherry compote, sprinkle some sugar over the pitted cherries and let it stand for a few hours at room temperature. 

When I made the sorbet the second time, I partially defrosted about a cup of pitted cherries, chopped them into small pieces and added them to the sorbet five minutes before it was finished in the ice cream maker. 

Guten Appetit!
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light 
©sunnycovechef.com
If you don't have an ice cream maker try my Black Forest Chocolate Mousse,  it is satisfying and easy to make. Click here for the link. 
Black Forest Chocolate Mousse
16 Comments

Jumbo Shells stuffed with Swiss chard and artichokes

6/1/2021

23 Comments

 
It has been six months since I last posted. My blog's face lift took longer than planned. It is still not finished so please bear with me. All your wonderful comments are archived in my old blog but I hope that one day I will be able to retrieve them and put them back on this new version of my blog.
Stuffed Jumbo Shells with Swiss Chard and Artichokes
As cooking is my passion, it also sparks my interest in food magazines. I miss Gourmet, but there are still some other good ones around, one of them being Food & Wine. I always find something that interests me in this magazine. This years January issue had one recipe that caught my attention and I knew I had to try it. The recipe was kale and artichoke stuffed pasta shells. The author, Anne Taylor Pittman, wrote a wonderful introduction describing her love for spinach-artichoke dip when she was a high school student. With that in mind, she created this dish.
Stuffed Jumbo Shells with Swiss Chard and Artichokes
I changed the recipe a bit and used Swiss chard instead of kale, because I still  had  some in my garden. Feel free to use spinach or kale. I think all of these greens will work just fine. Another reason why I like this recipe is because it hides vegetables in the stuffing and that’s a good way to feed them to my husband.  I made some changes the second time by increasing the number of pasta shells from 16 to 20. Figure about 3 shells per serving, 4-5 if you don’t serve a protein with it. The first time I used 1 tsp of Sriracha instead Calabrian Chile sauce. If you don’t like heat, you can omit the hot sauce. Do not omit the crushed fennel seed, as it adds extra flavor to the sauce and it is good for your digestion. I served these stuffed pasta shells with either a duck breast, sage & prosciutto chicken saltimbocca, or a steak. It’s a perfectly fine as a vegetarian dish by itself. I microwaved the leftover shells the next day, and they were delicious. 

Stuffed Jumbo Shells with Swiss Chard and Artichokes
Stuffed Jumbo Shells with Swiss Chard and Artichokes
Stuffed Jumbo Shells with Swiss Chard and Artichokes
Stuffed Jumbo Shells with Swiss Chard and Artichokes
Print the recipe

 recipe for Jumbo shells stuffed with Swiss chard and Artichokes 


This recipe makes about 8 servings
 Use a  13 x 9-inch baking dish or two smaller ones 

Ingredients :

16-20 uncooked jumbo shells (about 7 ounces)
2 cups or more of marinara sauce 
1 tsp Calabrian Chile sauce or Sriracha sauce
1 tsp fennel seeds
cooking spray
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
About 5-6 cups Swiss chard, kale, or spinach
1 (12-oz) marinated artichoke hearts 
1 can (15.5 -oz) cannelloni beans 
1 (5.2-oz.) Boursin cheese
4 oz. shredded provolone or Swiss cheese 
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

The Pasta
Heat a large kettle of water to boil, season with 3 TBS of salt. Pasta water has to taste like ocean water. Add the shells to the boiling water and cook for about 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. You don’t want the shells fully cooked because you will bake them once they are stuffed. Drain the shells and rinse them with cold water. Spread the shells on a paper towel to prevent them from sticking together. Then cool them. 

The Sauce
Spray the baking dish with oil. Coarsely grind the fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle. Mix the marinara sauce with the fennel and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the  sauce in the baking dish. I added more sauce than the original recipe called for.

Filling and finishing the dish
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chop the garlic very fine. Wash the chard, removing the stems, and chop it coarsely. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large frying pan with a lid. Add the garlic and sauté it for 30 seconds. Add the chard and stir, adding ¼ cup of water. Cover and cook for a few minutes until the chard is tender. Add the coarsely chopped artichoke hearts and heat uncovered for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and cool the mixture.

Rinse and drain the beans, mix them with the Boursin cheese and 2 TBS of olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Stir the bean and vegetable mixture together until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
​
Carefully spoon the bean and cheese mixture into the shells and arrange them in the baking dish with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over the shells and bake uncovered in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. The cheese needs to melt and sauce should be bubbling. Increase the heat to a high broil, and broil until cheese begins to brown.
​
​Guten Appetit!
Here is a link to the original recipe 
Recipe by Ann Taylor Pittman in Food & Wine 
Posted by ©Sunnycovechef.com

Stuffed Jumbo Shells with Swiss Chard and Artichokes

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23 Comments

Standing Rib Roast and Goodbye 2020

1/5/2021

0 Comments

 
The New Year has finally arrived. I think all of us are ready to move on and we all hope for a better upcoming year. I am also hopeful, because two of my friends have been vaccinated for the virus. I am going to sign up for a trip to Sweden in July. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. That is really all we can do. And yes, there are days where I would like to hide under my blankets.
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What kept me sane last year has been cooking. I have tried many different recipes. Some of them I shared with friends and neighbors by dropping off the food at their door. For Christmas my husband came home with a 4 rib standing rib roast from Costco. I had made prime rib before but this time I wanted it to be perfect because it was an expensive roast. Personally I prefer braised meets but everybody else loved this roast. It fed the three of us for many days  and even my son’s dog enjoyed some of it. My son delivered several meals to friends and neighbors.
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PRINT RECIPE
The Recipe:

Ingredients:
​

11 ½ lb USDA prime rib ( 4 ribs)
2-3 TBS kosher salt 
2-3 TBS pepper 
1-2 TBS garlic salt
 Directions:
I seasoned the meat with kosher salt, pepper, and garlic salt and put it in the fridge uncovered for 3 days. Do not skimp on the seasoning.
The third day I let the roast come to room temperature for 4 hours. I then put the roast on the bottom rack in a cold oven and turned the heat to 250 degrees. The internal temperature of the roast was 118 degrees after 3 hours in the oven. I turned the oven off and let the roast sit in the oven for 3 hours. When I took the roast out the oven the internal temperature read 130 degrees. My husband cut the bones off which we reheated a couple days later in a 500 degree oven. The meat was perfect.

I made gravy from the juices and some beef stock. I served the roast with mashed potatoes, red cabbage and horseradish sauce. My girlfriend Susanne made creamed pearled onions, and they were delicious and went nicely with the rest of the meal.  

Why am I posting this now? I will need a reference for the next time I make this roast. It took some research on my part to come up with this recipe.
​​
​If prime rib is too expansive for your budget and if you are like me and prefer braised meat try Susannne's German Rouladen  ( beef roll ups ). These Rouladen are full of flavor and are perfect for a chilly winter evening.
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A local web designer is going to redo my blog. I hope it will all work out. I am a little nervous because this is my baby. While my blog is being redone I will enjoy reading all your blogs and stay in touch that way. ​
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May 2021 be a better year for all of us . 
Guten Appetit!
Recipe by © sunnycovechef.com 
0 Comments

Biscotti with apricots and Chocolate

12/10/2020

0 Comments

 
Christmas and the New Year are just around the corner. Since we can’t have our usual Christmas activities with friends and family maybe this is the time and the year to enjoy some peace and quiet, to be reflective, to light a candle and find things that make us happy.
​ I am trying!
Biscotti with Chocolate and apricots
I am decorating the house for myself (my husband and son could care less) by putting up a few things that weren’t stored in the attic. I bought some new things at a local store just to support them. Several nights ago, I watched the sunset with my German girlfriend who lives next door. We shared some Glühwein (mulled hot wine) and we had fun sitting in her garden. I am trying out some new cookie recipes and was pleased with these apricot chocolate biscotti. It is a real treat to dip one of them into my morning coffee or afternoon tea. The biscotti are chewy with the fruity flavor of apricots and orange flavored semisweet chocolate. I am happy to add them to my baking arsenal and make them again.
Biscotti with Chocolate and apricots
These little  gingerbread house ornaments make a great project for children. A warning though, cutting the graham crackers for the tiny house ornaments can test your patience.
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I am contemplating making my French country pâté, giving a little to my friends and freezing some. Instead of taking it to a party I can have it for lunch.
French Country Pâté
If you are looking for cookie recipes, here some suggestions: gluten free hazelnut meringue cookies, or Basler Brünsli, made with chocolate, almonds and some Christmas spices.
Biscotti with Chocolate and apricots
My mini muffins with blueberries are a little labor intensive but oh so good. They are my son’s favorite.
Blueberry mini muffins
review recipe for gingerbread christmas ornaments​
review recipe for country pâté
review recipe for christmas cookies
For this recipe I used unsulfured dried apricots that were soft. I love orange flavored chocolate but any other semi-sweet chocolate would be fine. Both, the butter and the eggs should be at room temperature.The biscotti are easy to make but it takes some time to bake them twice.  Make sure you don’t burn them.  If you want more chocolate, dip one half of the biscotti into melted chocolate.  I didn't do that. They will keep in a tin for several weeks.
Print Recipe
Ingredients:​

This recipe makes about 45 biscotti 

5 oz (1¼ cups) ( 125g)  dried apricots
3.5 oz (100g) semisweet chocolate 
9 ¾ oz (2 cups) (280g) unbleached white flour)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon 
¼ tsp salt 
2 oz (4 TBS) (60) g soft butter 
6 oz (¾ cup) 175 g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 oz (¾ cup) (100g)  slivered dry roasted almonds
Directions:
​

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350˙Fahrenheit
Cut the apricots and chocolate into small pieces. 
Stir the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.  
Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer until creamy. Add the eggs one after another. Add the vanilla. 
Add the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Don’t over mix. Add the apricots, almonds and chocolate and mix them into the dough.
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and form 2 loaves (10 inches long and 3 inches wide) next to each other on the cookie sheet. Using floured hands will help with forming the loaves. Bake the loaves for twenty minutes, remove them from the oven and let them cool for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325˙Fahrenheit.
Cut the loaves with a serrated knife into ⅔ inch slices. Put biscottis on two baking sheets and back each for about 20 minutes at 325˙ Fahrenheit. Make sure they don’t  brown too much. Some of mine had baked just a little bit too long. Cool the biscotti and put them in a tin.
​
Guten Appetit!
Translated from a German recipe (Lecker)
By ©Sunnycovechef.com
​​
0 Comments

French Apple Cake

10/20/2020

0 Comments

 
I know I’m overdue to write a new post for my blog. I have many excuses why it has taken me so long: the California wildfires, an unexpected medical diagnosis, as well as my friends, house, and garden all needing attention. What it really boils down to is major procrastination. It’s not that I haven’t anything to post, as I have cooked many meals in my partially  remodeled kitchen. I love my new countertops, my new sink, and my pull-out drawers. ​
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I made some delicious beef short ribs with cauliflower gratin for a friend who just moved back into her house after evacuating from the Bonny Doon wildfire. The fire had burned her fence and woodpile, but left her house intact. She had hitched her horse trailer in the middle of the night to save her horse and donkey. I had several other friends who had to evacuate, but luckily nobody lost their homes.
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So, let’s get back to my kitchen and cooking. I made different recipes with zucchinis and yellow squash from my garden. My favorites are zucchini cakes and zucchini carpaccio. The recipe for the cakes are here and the carpaccio is easy to make. Slice a small yellow squash with a mandoline, put them on a plate, sprinkle some raspberry vinegar and good olive oil over the squash. Put it on a bed of lettuce if you like. Season with coarse salt, pepper, and some fresh thyme and you have a great salad. Now you can add whatever you want.
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For my book club dinner, I went all out. I served my over-the-top crepes filled with salmon and fennel. It was delicious and everybody enjoyed the alfresco dining on my outdoor deck. It was a gorgeous evening and we didn’t talk a lot about books. We just enjoyed each other’s company, one of those rare treats in these times of COVID. There were only five of us, which made it easier to keep the 6-foot distance.
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For dessert, I decided to make a French apple cake by Dorie Greenspan from her book Around My French Table. David Lebovitz adopted and posted the recipe on his blog, which I really enjoy reading. He now lives in Paris but used to be the baker for Chez Panisse in Berkley.  It's a delicious and easy-to-make recipe. I have made it several times and everybody sees to enjoy it. Please do not omit the rum in this recipe, as it what really makes the cake. Because I didn’t have any rum, I used some of the liquid from my Rumtopf (fruit preserved in rum). In my humble opinion, this cake needs to be served with some whipped cream. 
​Click here for the recipe
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Of course, there is always my German Apple cake which I have baked for decades.
​Click here for the recipe.
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You may also like my apple strudel cake, another favorite of mine.
Click  here for the recipe.
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Do not omit the rum, as it adds richness and flavor to the cake. But if you do not want to bake with alcohol, double the amount of vanilla. Epicurious is posting the same recipe calling it Marie-Hélène’s Apple Cake. There are many helpful comments on the post like substituting calvados for rum. I am going to stick with the rum but it would be interesting to find out. This is a beginners cake, so anyone can bake it and it is done in no time—perfect for the home cook. It is important to use a variety of apples for flavor and taste. I like playing with recipes, so I added my own twist. I used the apple peels to make a thick syrup that I added to the cake after it was baked, which is totally optional.
Print Recipe

Recipe for French Apple cake

Ingredients:

A 9-inch Cake pan with a removable bottom.

3/4 cup (110g) flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
4 large different kind of apples (4-5 cups)
2 large eggs at room temperature 
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
3 TBS dark rum
½ tsp vanilla extract
8 TBS (115g) butter, melted, then cooled
1 TBS lemon juice

Apple Syrup  (optional)

peels from the apples 
¼ cup sugar
½ cinnamon stick
2 cups of water
Directions:

The cake:
Melt the butter in the microwave and let it cool. Preheat the oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit (180˚ Celsius) and put your rack in the middle of the oven. Spray or butter a 9-inch (20-23cm ) baking pan with a removable bottom. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Peel and core the apples. Save the apple peels. Dice the apples into bite-size pieces and sprinkle with lemon juice. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until foamy. Then add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the rum and the vanilla and mix together. Stir in half the flour mixture, then half of the melted butter. Repeat with the rest of the flour and butter. Just stir enough to combine the ingredients. With a spatula, fold in the apple pieces, making sure they are well coated with the batter. Scrape the mixture into the baking pan. Smooth the top with your spatula. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes (up to an hour) until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool for about 5 minutes, run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake and carefully remove the sides of the cake pan. 
If you make the syrup with the apple peels, sprinkle it on top of the cake. Serve the cake with whipped cream. Ok, you can use ice cream if you prefer.. 

The syrup:
2 cups apple peels (packed in).
¼ cup sugar
2 cups water
While the cake is baking, cook the apple peels for about 10-20 minutes. Strain the liquid through a sieve into a bowl. Put the syrup back into the pot and boil to reduce the liquid until it becomes a thick syrup. Spoon onto the the top of the cake. 

Cooking the apple peels in water and straining them also makes a great apple juice.
​
Recipe by Dorie Greenspan adapted by David Lebovitz
posted by ©Sunnycovechef.com
​​
​
0 Comments

Alice Waters' Blueberry and Lemon Tart

9/8/2020

2 Comments

 
Here we are, Labor Day has passed, summer is almost over. Recent weeks have been  devastating for Santa Cruz County and California with huge fires burning and thousands of people evacuated. Many people lost their homes and all their belongings and some lost  their lives. My heart goes out to all of them. For a couple of days Santa Cruz had the worst air quality in the world. My husband and I decided to  go to our mountain cabin. I packed some personal stuff, just in case. I also took one of my favorite cookbooks called Chez Panisse Fruit  by Alice Waters that had not been packed away during my remodel. From this book I would like to share a scrumptious recipe for a blueberry lemon tart. I have made many recipes from this book and have never been disappointed. I make her apricot jam every year and never get tired of it. I like everything about this book, the recipes, the layout, and the illustrations. I also have been fortunate enough to eat at Chez Panisse in Berkley many times. Alice Waters is a great cook and shares her talent with children and young adults, which I think is wonderful. She was a pioneer in the farm-to-table movement. ​
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I baked the lemon tart twice, once in the first week of August and then again last week. Even my husband who usually goes for the sweeter versions when it comes to dessert liked this tart.  ​
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The flavors in this tart are phenomenal, with the crispness and rich butter flavor of the páte sucrée, and the sweet tart flavor of the blueberries combined with the zesty lemon curd. It is a perfect combination for your taste buds. If you bake this, I hope you enjoy this tart as much as we have.
If you are interested in some different lemony or blueberry desserts click on the photo for my blogpost and the recipe.
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An easy to make German sheet cake with blueberries
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A rustic galette made with raspberries and blueberries
The pâte sucrée is easy to make. I baked mine a day before I added the filling. You might have some leftover dough, which you can be used to a cookie a cookie or two. If you have enough you can make a  mini tart. The eggs and butter should be at room temperature. You can use an 11-inch round tart pan with a removable button or  8 individual 4-inch tart pans. I think this tart would also look good in a rectangular tart pan. The dough is easy to work with. I think frozen blueberries would be fine in this recipe.
Print Recipe
Ingredients:

The Páte Sucrée
¼ pound (113 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature 
​½ cup ( 100g) sugar 
¼ tsp salt 
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk 
1 ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour 


The Lemon Curd

grated zest of two lemons
juice of two lemons (about 6 TBS ) 
3 TBS water
½ cup (100 g ) sugar
¼ pound (1 stick ) (113 g) butter
¼ tsp salt
3 whole eggs
3 yolks


The  Blueberry Topping

3 cups blueberries (500g) 
¼ cup sugar 
2 TBS water
Directions:

The Pâte Sucrée:
With a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy, about two to three minutes. Add the salt, vanilla and egg yolk and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix for a short time. Put the dough on a dry surface, and with the palm of your hand, push the dough away from you until you get a ball that holds together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten it into a disk. Chill the dough for several hours or overnight. Take the dough out of he refrigerator and let it stand for a a few minutes to soften a little. Roll out a 13-inch disc of dough between two square pieces of floured parchment paper or two sheets of plastic wrap (which I prefer). Loosen the sheets while rolling it out, so it won’t stick to the paper. Flip the dough around while rolling it out and keep loosening the plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Roll out the 13-inch circle of dough that is 1/8 inch thick. Chill the dough with the wrap for a few minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and roll the dough around a pin to put it in the tart shell. Alice Waters gives instructions to only remove one sheet and flip the dough into the tart pan and then remove the second sheet. I think both methods will work. Use any dough scraps to patch any cracks. Chill the tart in the freezer for ten minutes before baking. Put the tart directly from the freezer into a preheated 350˙F oven and bake for about 15 minutes until slightly golden. 

Lemon Curd
Slowly over a low heat, heat the lemon juice, water, sugar, and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks in a bowl and very slowly drizzle the lemon mixture into the egg mixture stirring constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over a low heat while stirring all the time, scraping the bottom of the pot until the curd thickens, about 5 minutes. Be careful with your heat so the mixture doesn’t curdle. Strain the curd through a fine sieve and pour it into the baked tart shell while still warm. Spread evenly.

Blueberry Topping
​Divide the blueberries into 1½ cups each and put half of the three cups into a saucepan. Add the water and sugar and cook over a medium heat for about five minutes, smashing the blueberries with a wooden until they turn into a thick jam. Fold the remaining cup and a half of blueberries into the jam, and heat for about a minute to warm them. Spoon the blueberry topping evenly over the lemon curd. Cool until the curd has set. My tart tasted the best the following day.

Guten Appetit!
recipe by Alice Waters
posted by ©Sunnycovechef.com
2 Comments

Zucchini Cakes with Feta

8/12/2020

2 Comments

 
Here we are in August, and summer is in full swing. Our kitchen remodeling project is almost over, with maybe another week to go. Who knows? We have been escaping to the mountains while my floors are being redone. I feel so fortunate that we are able to do that. The mountain keeps me sane during these troubled times.
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Pinecrest Lake
One of my first COVID projects was to revitalize my little vegetable garden that had been suffering from severe neglect. Two new planter boxes with fresh soil (and high enough for me to sit on) have turned it into a flourishing garden. For the first time, my zucchini plants are producing a fair amount of fruit. Yes, botanically speaking, zucchinis are fruits, bearing a type of botanical berry called a “pepo.” The zucchini itself is the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower. Thanks, Wikipedia!  Courgettes as they are called in other countries are the most versatile of squashes. You can fry them, roast them, bake them into bread, and substitute them for pasta. The possibilities are endless.
I would love to get some of your favorite recipes. I remember bringing the zucchini seeds to my mom decades ago. She loved them and turned her zucchinis into soup. For every zucchini lover there is a zucchini loather. I am a lover, my husband is a hater, so he won’t touch anything made with zucchini. But he will grill them for me, brushed with a little bit of olive oil and garlic salt. Maybe some day I will find a recipe he will like. In the meantime, I will enjoy my bounty and share my zucchinis with my friends and neighbors.
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In this post, I will share a recipe for zucchini patties (or fritters as some people call them) with you. I decided on a recipe from the New York Times that uses feta cheese in them. It also reminded me of the Turkish-inspired Moosewood recipe. There is always some extra feta in my fridge, because I buy it at Costco. They give a lot, but it is oh so delicious. I wanted some protein in the cakes because I love to eat them as a snack throughout the day. Once they become leftovers, they are no longer crispy but still very good and filling. I like them cold or at room temperature. For a topping, I mixed yogurt with some grated garlic and salt. I ate them with lox, a low-carb lunch or dinner. I had some extra romesco sauce which was delicious with the zucchini cakes. They were perfect with some grilled chicken thighs.
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Zucchini Cakes with lox and yoghurt and romesco sauce
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Zucchini cakes with grilled chicken thighs
If you are one of the zucchini loathers, then try my potato, salmon or crab cakes. Click on the photo for the link.
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Salmon Cakes
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Spicy Dungeoness Crab Cakes
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German Potato Pancakes ( Kartoffel Puffer)
You can grate the zucchini in the food processor, but I choose to do it with a grater. The zucchini has to be drained in a colander and then squeezed out on a dish towel to get out all the excess water (do not skip this step). I had quite a bit of excess water when I drained the zucchini (more than a cup). Smitten Kitchen recommends that you always use a cast iron frying pan to make “crispy fritters” as she calls them. Mine were not especially crispy, except for the outer ends. I assume that Smitten Kitchen used more oil than I did and her recipe uses only one egg. I also used more than a pound of zucchini (two fat ones). The original recipe only uses one pound. The original recipe also calls for dill, but I used chives instead. If you choose to use dill, put in some scallions to get the onion flavor. I could also see some mint in this recipe. If you make these cakes for a crowd, keep them warm in a preheated oven (250 degrees). But I like to eat them when they come right out of the pan. The leftovers make a great snack.
Print Recipe
Ingredients :
​

(makes 10-12 pancakes) 

1-1 ½ pound zucchinis (2 or 3 zucchinis depending on size)
a generous amount of salt
​freshly ground pepper
a smidge of ground nutmeg 
3 smallish eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup flour
½ tsp baking powder 
1/3 cup chopped chives or dill 
2-4 TBS vegetable oil for frying, more if needed











​The Yogurt Sauce


1 cup Greek yogurt
2-3 cloves garlic, grated 
salt and lemon juice to taste
Directions:
​

Trim the ends (but do not peel the zucchini) and grate them on the large holes in a grater. Put the grated zucchini in a colander over a bowl and generously sprinkle with salt. Let it drain for about 20-30 minutes and then squeeze out as much juice a possible with a kitchen towel. 
In the meantime, mix the flour with the baking powder. Put the drained zucchini in a bowl and add more salt to taste. Stir in the eggs, dill, nutmeg, pepper, and mix well. Add the feta and flour mixture. 
In a large skillet, heat the pan and the oil until it shimmers. Drop a heaping tablespoon of zucchini batter in frying pan several inches apart. Flatten them a little bit with a spatula and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes each side. If they brown too quickly, turn your heat down to medium. Put them on a plate lined with a paper towel and keep them warm in a preheated oven (250 degrees) while you fry the rest. Add additional oil if needed. 


The Yogurt Sauce:
Combine all the ingredients and serve with the pancakes. 


Guten Appetit!
Recipe from NYT
​adapted by©Sunnycovechef.com
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Rote Grütze and celebrating seven Years of blogging

7/14/2020

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My dear blogging friends from around the world, I want to thank you for connecting with me through my blog for the last seven years. It has been so much fun getting to know you and I appreciate how you motivate me to keep on going. While I sit at my computer, I think of you in your own individual spaces. These are lonely times, especially for older people like me. Because of COVID, we have to distance ourselves and can’t socialize the way we used to. That’s why this blog is so important to me, as it keeps me connected. Thank you!
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Rote Grütze with red currents
This last month has been a very busy one for me, as my husband and I finally found a contractor whom we like and appreciates our unique home. After I broke my ankle in Budapest (and made it home safely), I realized that my bathroom situation needed a change. As I was unable to take a shower in my upstairs bathroom, I had to slide downstairs on my butt using my arms to push me up and down.
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The old bathtub-shower
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my old countertop
Upstairs, I had a beautiful tub-shower combination but I had to step over a  20-inch ledge to get in and out. Right now, the workers are building a shower that will enable us to stay in our home of 35 years a little longer. I also decided to give my well-used kitchen a facelift by putting in a new countertop and backsplash, as well as some other improvements like pull-out shelves in my lower cabinets. During this construction project, my husband and I have moved into our downstairs living quarters. ​
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My living quarters during our construction
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It is comfortable and cozy, but we only have a hot plate and a microwave to cook with. Sometimes in the evening, I can sneak upstairs and use my oven. Because of that, my cooking has been simple and there has been quite a bit of takeout food. My friends have also cooked for me, but we are at the age where we have to be careful not to catch this nasty virus. So, almost all of our get-togethers occur outside.
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This is the way I like Rote Grütze, like a compote with a lot of my homemade vanilla sauce.
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In this photo I made the Rote Grütze with a little more cornstarch. I served it with vanilla sauce and a sad looking meringue that I made from some leftover egg whites.
Let's talk about my beloved Rote Grütze, a typical German dessert from northern Germany. There you can buy it in jars in almost every grocery store. You cannot buy it here in the US, but that’s OK because it is super easy to make. It’s healthy and a perfect way to use all the fruit you have in your garden or the refrigerator. Traditionally, it is made with red currants and other berries. Here in California, red currants are seldom available, so I made mine with cherries, blackberries, blueberries and a few raspberries. Since the fruit is only heated and not cooked, it is crunchy and fresh. Rote Grütze translates into “red porridge.” It was traditionally made with semolina, but today potato or corn starch is being used to achieve a creamy to pudding-like consistence.  Think of a jelly with fruit. Or a compote. I personally like it with my homemade vanilla sauce, because the sauce adds richness and flavor. However, some people eat it with yogurt or ice cream. There are cakes made with Rote Grütze in Germany and sometimes it is served over warm waffles. Why not serve it with pancakes? If you make this, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. ​
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red currents
Last week at the farmer’s market I scored 2 baskets of red currents and I just had to make Rote Grütze again. It was divine. With the leftover red currents and other fruit I made my Rumtopf.  The one I made last year was delicious with ice cream or just by itself , a potent little treat.  ​
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review recipe for Rumtopf
Vanilla Sauce
The consistency is up to you depending on how much cornstarch you use to thicken this dish. The first time, I used 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and it came out soft and saucy. The second time, I increased the amount of cornstarch to 3 ½ tablespoons and it turned into a jelly with fruit. I definitely prefer the softer version and that’s how it is prepared in Germany. I used pitted cherries, blackberries, a few raspberries and some blueberries. When I scored red currents at the farmers market I made it a third time.  I used the red currents, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and cherries and three tablespoons of cornstarch. It was excellent. Rote Grütze  will keep in the refrigerator several days .
Print Recipe
Ingredients:
​

This recipe makes approximately 4 cups (enough for 6 servings) 

​1 ½  Ib (680 g) mixed berries 
2 cups (½ liter) cherry juice 
3 TBS Creme Cassis
1 vanilla pod
4 TBS sugar
3 TBS cornstarch
Directions: 

Clean and wash all the fruit, take the pits out of the cherries. I have a cherry pitter that works well. Half the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrap out the beans. Add the sugar, vanilla beans and pod to the juice and bring to a boil.  Mix the cornstarch in 3-4 tablespoons of cold water add to the boiling juice and cook for about two minutes, stirring constantly until the juice thickens and gets shiny. Add the fruit and Creme de Cassis and simmer for another 2 minutes. At this point you can add more sugar to sweetened the dish. I don’t add additional sugar but I have to have my homemade vanilla sauce with Rote Grütze.

Guten Appetit!
Translated from a German recipe
by  © Sunnycovechef.com
​
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Flammkuchen (Flatbread) with Asparagus and Prosciutto

5/19/2020

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Here we are a little over two months of being confined to our homes trying to adjust to a new life. No, I can’t complain, I haven’t lost a loved one, I am retired, I can pay my bills, and I live in a beautiful area. I am trying to be positive and some days I am, but other days are difficult and depressing. It makes me sad to think of all the hardship that this pandemic has created and  yes I miss my old life with all its privileges and perks. There is no running away from it, we are all affected. Enough of whining, I know there are people who are much worse off than I am.
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So, how am I coping. I cook and cook and cook and when I don’t cook I watch youtube  videos on cooking . My screen time is up exponentially. I read and I watch TV,  although I am watching much less TV than in the beginning. My little garden gives me some pleasure. Sunshine makes me happy, but today it is raining. Every morning I make a plan but on the blah days I procrastinate and nothing gets done.
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The other day I was fantasizing about sitting in a little German restaurant somewhere in the countryside enjoying a glass or two of wine and eating Flammkuchen (flame cake) with my friends. So, instead of looking at cheap flights or redeeming my miles I started to research Flammkuchen recipes. Flammmkuchen is a specialty from Alsace where it is called tart flambé. It is a crispy somewhat blackened very thin (1mm) and blistered crust that is traditionally topped with Crême Fraîche, Speck (smoked pork belly,) and thinly sliced onions, sprinkled with arugula. Today it is topped with anything imaginable . It is a favorite treat for the young crowd and often is the cheapest prized item on the menu.
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Flammkuchen was used as a trial bake for bakers to test the communal wood-fired ovens to see if they were ready to bake bread and cakes. Every village (including mine) had a Backhaus (baking house) where once or twice a week the village women would bake their bread and cake. Think of this Flammmkuchen as a tart baked in flames, burned on the outside and crispy as a cracker
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This Flammkuchen was made with bacon, asparagus and some cheese
Researching Flammkuchen gave me a purpose and I dived right into it. It took away the edges of uncertainty and fear. I made several and my husband liked them. Once I made it for lunch on a sunny day, we sat on our deck with a glass of chardonnay and the living was good.  I see this as a perfect cooking project for young teens, making the dough and choosing their toppings.
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The dough is a mixture of flour, salt, water, and oil that needs to be mixed together and kneaded for at least 5 minutes or more until it becomes a smooth and shiny and can be rolled out to a very thin crust. Some recipes call for yeast but I choose one without it from a German YouTube channel called Thomas kocht . I tried several of his recipes and they are all good. Because there is no yeast in the dough it has to be be baked in a very hot oven preferable on a pizza stone that has been heated for an hour or a sheet pan that has been heated for 30 minutes . You are in Flammkuchen heaven if you have a pizza oven.
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This is Manu Koenig, running for county supervisor in District 1,Santa Cruz County. He's got my vote and he liked my Flammkuchen.
While sheltering in place I got adventurous  in my cooking and geared into the realm of the unknown for me. I prepared some Asian dishes , some of them not so good but some of them ok. Once this is over I will probably go back to my favorite restaurants. I go shopping at my local farmer’s market and buy seasonal fruits and vegetables. I love asparagus and we have the freshest green asparagus available. Unfortunately we don’t have white asparagus like they have in Europe. My husband and I both love asparagus soup. It’s easy to make and so delicious . We have had it several times.  
Here are some more asparagus recipes, click on the photo for the recipe
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Creamy and easy to make asparagus soup
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I make this frittata when asparagus is in season
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A delicious Chinese noodle salad rom the Greens cookbook.
It is essential that you let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. I leave my dough divided into four parts and covered with plastic wrap for days in the refrigerator. I used some of the dough four days later and it was easier to work with when I rolled it out.  After making the dough by hand the first time I decided to use my KitchenAid , I knead the dough for five minutes with the hook attachment . I then knead it a little bit by hand , divide it into 4 parts , cover each with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. I made one FLammkuchen the traditional way using bacon instead of Speck. It was a little too greasy for us. I fried the bacon and then sprinkled it over the Creme Fraîche with some Gruyere cheese. I prefer a mixture of leftover cheddar and some other cheeses I used on my first Flammkuchen. Thomas also made one Flammkuchen with goat cheese and pears and added some arugula before serving it. It looked delicious but I didn’t try it.
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Mixing the ingredients
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Pulling and kneading the dough
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Rolling out the dough
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The rolled out dough 1mm thick
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Covering the dough with the Crème Fraîche mixture
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Cutting the Asparagus at an angle
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When grating cheese or anything else wear a glove that protects your fingers.
Print Recipe
Ingredients:
​

The dough makes four large ( the size of a cookie sheet) pizzas. I made one at a time and that was plenty for my husband and me.​ 
The topping is enough for one Flammkuchen


The dough:

3 3/4  cup (17oz ) (500g) all purpose flour
1 cup plus 6 TBS lukewarm water (250g)
4 TBS olive oil
1 TBS salt
extra flour for rolling out the dough.

The toppings:

½ lb. green asparagus
1 TBS olive oil
3/4 cup Crême Fraîche
salt 
​pepper
a pinch of nutmeg
A handful of grated cheese
some slices of prosciutto torn apart
Directions:
​

The Topping:

Smooth the Crème Fraîche with salt pepper and a little nutmeg.
Wash the asparagus and peel the lower ends. Cut off the woody ends and discard. Cut the asparagus on an angle into ½  inch slices leaving the tops intact.  Slice the tops in half. Heat a frying pan, add the oil and then the asparagus, season with salt and pepper. Fry the asparagus for about two minutes until it turns dark green. 
Grate the cheese.

The dough:
Preheat the oven at 500 degree Fahrenheit for 30 minutes before baking the Flammkuchen with the cookie sheet at the the lowest shelf in the oven. If you are using a pizza stone preheat the oven and the stone one hour before. I used my convection-bake setting in my oven. 

Add the water, olive oil and water and then the flour to a large bowl. I used my KitchenAid to mix the ingredients until they came together, then I kneaded the dough for about 10 minutes by hand  until is was shiny. While kneading I pulled the dough with one hand holding with the other hand. It takes some work and effort . Cover the dough in plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. I found the dough better to work with after a couple of days.

Roll out the dough on a flat surface sprinkled with flour. Every time you turn the dough brush off the extra flour on the upside of the dough and add more flour to the surface. Rolling out the dough takes awhile because you want the dough as thin as possible, about a millimeter thick. Turn the dough often and take your time.
​ 
Cut parchment paper the size of your baking sheet, 12-16 inches. Put the parchment paper on a board from where you can transfer the Flammkuchen to the hot cookie sheet. Add the rolled out dough, spread the Créme Fraîche mixture evenly over the dough. Add the asparagus evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the cheese over the asparagus. Slide the Flammkuchen with the parchment paper onto the hot cookie sheet and bake in the lower half  of the oven for 5-7 minutes. Turn the sheet around half way through. Its ok for the edges to burn, you want that crispy flamed taste . Make sure that the buttom has some brown spots. My last Flammkuchen turned out perfect. 
Remove the Flammkuchen from the oven by sliding it onto a board, cut it into serving portions and enjoy it as soon as possible.
​ 
Watch the video even if you don't speak German. Click on the link below.

Guten Appetit!
Recipe and video by ThomasKocht 
translated by ©Sunnycovechef.com
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La Pitchoune , Julia Child's house in Provence

4/29/2020

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“Cooking and eating in a foreign country may be the surest, truest way to its soul.”
  by Luke Barr from his book Provence 1970
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Julia and Paul Child built their Provence home on the Beck and Fischbaker estate called Le Mas Veiux outside the little town of Plascassier, a half hour drive from Cannes. The five acre  property has an eighteenth century farmhouse called Bramafan that Simon Beck and her husband remodeled  and lived in. Simone Beck was Julia’s close friend (they called each other sisters) and co-author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In 1965 the Child's leased the land and built their modest house in an old potato batch of the estate. They called it La Pitchoune, the little thing. The deal between the Becks and the Childs was made with a handshake, a house built on friendship. La Pitchoune would revert back to the estate once Julia and Paul Child were done with it and that is exactly what happened. The house was returned to the estate in 1992 and later sold. La Pitchoune is now available for rent to the public by the new owner.
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Julia Child's bedroom
The Child's spent many happy years (three decades) at La Peetch, as they nicknamed La Pitchoune. They entertained legends like James Beard and M.F.K. Fischer. Julia Child and Simone Beck worked on the second volume of the Art of French Cooking. The Child's spent many happy years (three decades) at La Peetch, as they nicknamed La Pitchoune. They entertained legends like James Beard and M.F.K. Fischer. Julia Child and Simone Beck worked on the second volume of the Art of French Cooking. 
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
The kitchen at La Pitchoune
After arriving at La Pichoune I met our group of 9 women, three of them professional cooks. Our tour guide Barbie Aknin and her friend Deb greeted us with hors d’oeuvres and a glass of rosé, the first of many to come. 
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Hors d'oeuvres at La Pitchoune
We took a tour of La Pitchoune and the adjacent house Mas Bramafam. The current owner has turned it into a modern house with a large kitchen and dining area. Both houses were to be our home for the next week.
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Mas Bramafan, our other home
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Our first dinner, Daube de Boeuf with Polenta
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Mas Braham
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Dining at Mas Braham
Before we go on let me tell you a little bit about our tour guide Barbie Aknin owner of Community Cuisine. She was the best tour guide I have ever had. When we arrived there was a folder on our bed with all the information we needed, including recipes. Barbie has the perfect personality for a tour guide. She is calm, organized, and nonjudgemental and a talented cook. I felt well taken care of the entire time I was with her. I hope that in the future I can take another trip with her. Another very important person on this trip was our driver Fouad. He took special care of me because of my ankle . Whenever I needed a hand he was there without asking, a true gentleman with a kind soul. His knowledge of the area is vast . He and Barbie made the perfect team. Like I said before, my goal is to go back and have him as a tour guide. As you know my blog is for my personal enjoyment and I don’t monetize it. All opinions are my own. ​
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Barbie Aknin , click on the photo for her website
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Fouad Zarrou, click on the photo for his website
Barbie had prepared Daube de Boeuf with polenta for our first dinner served with vegetables and a salad.
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
The dining room at Mas Bramafan
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Daube de Boeuf
Under the guidance of Barbie, we prepared a delicious picnic called Pan Bagnet for our Sunday lunch. For the rest of the week we were encouraged to help and ask questions or just sit by the fire and have a glass of wine. She hired a young woman to help with the dishes. Throughout the week Barbie invited us to participate in formal cooking lessons. I learned a great deal and hope to post some of her wonderful recipes.
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Preparing our lunch for the coming day
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One of the many cooking lessons
The following day, Sunday, we went to the Cannes farmer’s market which was amazing. Julia and her friends had come here often. I bought a jar of truffles and Barbie bought produce for the week. All the vendors were very friendly and we got to taste everything.
After the market we took a boat to the island of Saint-Honorat, a mile off shore from Cannnes. Since the fifth century the island has been home to a community of monks. The 21 monks still living there are cultivating eight hectares of grapes from which they make wine. It was a day filled with beautiful things to explore, good food, and making new friends.
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Monday was spent sightseeing and shopping in Nice. Barbie wanted us to explore the Cours Saleya, a market in the old town of Nice. It is a beautiful flower and fruit market from Tuesday to Sunday and an antique/flea market on Monday. We were free to choose to do whatever we wanted to do.
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Three of us went with Fouad, who gave us a fascinating tour of the old narrow cobblestone  streets. The four of us had a wonderful lunch and afterwards admired the antiques at the market before we went home for another delightful dinner with our group.
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
On Tuesday we visited Grasse to tour the Fragonard Perfumery . We had a nice tour of the facility learning how perfume was made now and in the past.  People that mix the perfumes have a job which is called the nose. What a job!  Perfume is made by extracting substances from plants . There are different methods of extractions. ​
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
After the visit to  Grasse we visited Frederik and Isabelle. Frederik raises heritage pigs in a wild nature setting. It was a wonderful visit for a farm girl like me. Frederik and Isabellle treated us to a lunch in their home.
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
There are so many beautiful villages in Provence to visit. We saw several  of them during our week's stay.  On Wednesday  we went to Saint-Paul de Vence, a walled medieval scenic  town set on top of a hill with magnificent views and hilly cobblestone streets. Marc Chagall has his final resting place here. From St-Paul de Vence Fouad drove us to Touretttes-sur-Loup, a hilltop medieval authentic village with spectacular views. ​
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
St.Paul de Vence
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Touretttes-sur-Loup
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
We had a tour of the Confiseries Florian in Touretttes-sur-Loup. They manufacture some fantastic candied fruit, crystallized flowers, and different sorts of candy. It's wonderful to watch them produce these delicacies. I wonder, did Julia and Paul ever come in to buy some of their goodies.
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
To all my foodie friends, how many times have you dreamed of helping a famous chef  prepare a meal in his kitchen. My dream finely materialized when our group prepared lunch with Chef Alain Llorca at his Michelin starred restaurant. This beautiful restaurant and hotel sit on a mountain overlooking Saint-Paul de Vence. We had a fabulous lunch on their terrace. Alain and his wife Virginia and brother Jean-Micheal created an establishment that offers the best of the region. In the morning we watched and helped Alain cook a mediterranean fish terrine that was served later for lunch. I was in culinary heaven and couldn't have been happier even though I received a troubling text telling me that my flights home had been canceled. . ​
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
In the kitchen
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Making the Mediterranean fish terrine
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The panoramic terrace
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Beetroot with apples / avocado/haddock chips and mustard sorbet
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Alain Llorca's brother Jean-Micheal is the pastry chef.
On Friday, we visited the farmer’s market at Valbonne. That night we had our last dinner at Julia’s house, what a treat, what a beautiful vacation.
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Cooking in Julia's kitchen
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Our last dinner together
We all said “good bye” on Saturday and Faoud picked four of us up to give us his special tour, called “The best of the French Riviera Tour “. What a great last day. I can highly recommend this tour for anybody visiting the area. I just hope that I can come back one of these days. Two days later everything was shut down because of the Corona virus.
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
Monacco
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
The view from the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild oil Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
La Pitchoune , Julia Child's home in Provence
I made it home, even though my flights were changed three times, one of them on Sunday morning, two hours before I was supposed to leave.  I caught one the last flights to Frankfurt and then on to San Francisco. After getting home I quarantined myself for two weeks. There are so many more memories and photos I would like to share about this wonderful trip but I need to publish this post. I will post more photos on Instagram. I hope you are all safe and healthy coping and getting used to our new way of life. Virtual hugs to all of you. ​
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Two Days in Nice

4/16/2020

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This will be a two part post about my trip to France.  Part one will be about my stay in Nice and part two about staying at La Pitchoune, Julia Child’s vacation home in Provence.
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The Promenade des Anglais
I signed up for this cooking class sometime in January dealing with the aftermath of my broken ankle. By then I knew I could do it. It was the perfect motivation to push myself with exercise and physical therapy. On March 3rd my husband dropped me off at the San Francisco airport and I was on my way. Flying comes naturally to me, I have done it so many times in the past. I changed planes in Frankfurt and landed in Nice as the sun was setting over the Alps.  I fell in love with the city and area before I even landed.  I was picked up by the most wonderful driver and tour guide ever. I hope to come back to this beautiful area and Fouad  from France Azur Excursion will be my guide.
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I spent two days by myself in Nice . There are times when I like solo traveling . This was one of them. As a woman of a certain age I was treated kindly by the staff in my hotel, the Le Meridian. There was a cook in the morning that made a perfect omelet, the receptionist  recommended some great restaurants and her sense of humor was delightful. The server in the rooftop restaurant entertained me since I was the only customer.
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Nice is the capital of the Côte d’Azur and is located on the French Rivera with a seaside promenade called the Promenade des Anglais. This promenade stretches for miles and defines the city. My hotel was on the promenade and near the old town with its open air markets, tiny boutiques, and incredible restaurants . I loved exploring this part of the city and had an opportunity to do it again a week later with my group.
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Maison Auer, an old fashion artisanal shop that sells delicious chocolate and candied fruit
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My first day was a rainy day and I decided to go the Matisse Museum. The Matisse museum documents the various stages of the artist’s development. I especially enjoyed the sculptures. Unfortunately, I couldn’t explore the surrounding gardens and the park. I took the bus back to Nice and had lunch at Armand Crespo’s latest restaurant called Peixes. This restaurant specializes in fresh local fish turned into mouth-watering ceviches, tartare and Japanese-style takakis. It has a no nonsense young vibe, my kind of place. I had the fish of the day with coconut foam , tom yum, and vegetable spaghetti. It was divine.
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The second day I bought a ticket for the ‘hop on hop off’ bus. This is a great way to see any city. After touring the city I visited the Chagall Museum. Many artists including Chagall were enchanted by Nice’s beauty and lived there for years. In the Chagall Museum you will find the largest public collection of his work. This museum was designed with the the cooperation of the artist himself. The museum’s core is a series of large paintings illustrating the first two chapters of the bible. I very much enjoyed looking at these colorful paintings.
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On  my walk home  I had made reservation at La Meranda , a tiny small restaurant that serves only 20 people is run by Dominique Le Stanc, formerly the chef at Negresso, a two-star Michelin restaurant. This unusual restaurant doesn’t have a phone. You have to drop in to make reservations and sit close together on small uncomfortable stools. The menu is on the blackboard and reflects local rustic dishes. I had a delicious salad and the daube of beef was very good. Don’t expect elegance or a charming restaurant but the food is outstanding and the price its right. A real experience, it reminded me of of sitting in my grandmother’s kitchen on a bench being served a tasty soup that filled my tummy and soul.
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When I returned to Nice the following week with my group Foud took some of us on a walk through the tiny cobblestone streets where I hadn’t been before. He also took us to a restaurant where I had the most delicious duck confit  ( that and onion soup is a must when I am in France.)
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I enjoyed exploring Nice and hope that one day I can return and explore more of this gorgeous town on the Mediterranean .
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The Promenade des Anglais
Stay tuned for part two where I had the best week ever at Julia Child’s summer house La Pitchoune.
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Kitchen Sink Bolognese Sauce

3/30/2020

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Here is a little secret, I never made bolognese sauce before, I never looked at a recipe for bolognese sauce but here I am, in the middle of the corona crisis. I am quarantined and trips to the store to get necessary ingredients are not an option.
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However, I am well stocked and as I enjoy my morning coffee I think of the ingredients that are available to me to make bolognese sauce. I pull the vegetables out of the fridge and select some that need to be used pretty soon. I find a handful of shiitake mushrooms, a beautiful looking fennel bulb and some garlic. Beside the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini I find some very tired mini peppers in the back of my refrigerator. There are a few leftover shiitake mushrooms from last weeks barley soup. Then I remember my Italian friend telling me that she uses two different kinds of meat when making her bolognese. I use some pieces of prosciutto and the leftover meat from last night’s short ribs. I have some overripe tomatoes that are not good for anything else and pull out a can of tomato sauce. That should do it.
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But let’s not forget the pasta. I was given several boxes of dried pasta from an on-line store in Virginia. The pasta was outstanding and I will order some more. We had two delicious dinners, slurping the pasta being coated by the rich sauce. I served my lemon caesar salad with it and a nice glass of wine.  ​
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These days I have only one tester, my husband . He can be a picky eater, he doesn’t like vegetables and could live on steak and potatoes for the rest of his life. I love sneaking in some vegetables and this is a good way. Of course you could substitute different vegetables and use different meat like leftover pot roast or beef stew. Or, leave out the meat entirely and make a vegan sauce. The possibilities are endless.
click here for the lemon caesar salad
This recipe made four generous meals with about 2 cups of leftover sauce that I put in the freezer. I added 2 TBS of my frozen pesto to the sauce. You could substitute different vegetables and use different meat like leftover pot roast or beef stew. Or, leave out the meat entirely and make a vegan sauce. The possibilities are endless.
Print Recipe
Ingredients:

1- 1 ½  cup finely chopped white onions
2 finely chopped carrots 
​2 zucchinis, peeled and chopped

½ fennel bulb, finely chopped 
1 piece of celery , finely chopped
4 mini peppers , thinly sliced 
3 TBS finely chopped garlic
a handful of shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1-2 cups chopped tomatoes 
4 slices of of chopped prosciutto 
1½ -2 cups of leftover cooked beef 
1 can ( 15 oz or 425 g ) tomato sauce
3 TBS olive oil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. and more salt
1 tsp. and more pepper

​​
Directions:
​

Heat the olive oil and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, and mini peppers for 10-15 minutes at low heat. You want the vegetables to be soft but not overly browned. Add the mushrooms  and garlic and sauté another couple of minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and prosciutto and continue to sauté for several minutes. Stir occasionally during this entire cooking time. Add the can of tomato sauce, rinse the can with water and add that to the sauce. Add the Italian seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the meat and and stir. Cook for about  20 minutes , make sure the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom. Cook your pasta as directed on the package. Remember, always salt your pasta water. On my last trip I was told by a wonderful Italian chef that you want the pasta water to taste like the ocean. I like that! Make sure you save some of the pasta water to add to your sauce.​

Guten Appetit!
Recipe by© Sunnycovechef.com
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    WELCOME TO SUNNY COVE CHEF

    Thank you for visiting my blog.  My two passions are cooking and traveling. Traveling exposes me to a wide variety of food and experiences. I walk around cities looking for markets, restaurants, bakeries, shops, you name it, and if it is related to food you will find me there, tasting, smelling, talking to vendors, and having a great time.

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    If you  have tried any of my recipes, snap a photo and tag me @sunnycovechef I'd love to see your creations!​


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