I like to share my latest European adventure in July.  It was wonderful. We went on a cruise to Scandinavia and Estonia. Thank God, we escaped the European heat wave, even though it was very hot in Stockholm. My husband left a week earlier, and I spent a week at the farm with my family.

Let me begin with my experience with the German train system. 50% of trains are late. That is one reason I arrived at the Frankfurt Airport a day early to catch my flight. In my opinion, the Frankfurt Airport is difficult to navigate. If you are not a European citizen, you have to wait in the customs line. On my last trip, half of the people in line missed their flight. Often, you have to carry your carry-on down several flights of stairs, board a bus, and then board the airplane. I recommend packing light. That said, my husband had no problem when he left. I am sharing this so you are aware of any trouble if you're ever at Frankfurt Airport or need to get there on time by train. Like life, traveling isn’t always easy. But having my favorite meal, Matjes Herring with potatoes, made up for it. Here is my recipe for Herring.

On the way over, we flew into Munich and then to Hamburg, where my niece’s husband picked us up. We stayed 5 days in Lüneburg, a town I love. Read more about it here. I always try to book a cute, small hotel and visit my niece’s family whenever they have time. Lüneburg is a great town for shopping and relaxing. Here you can experience a German small-town lifestyle. Everything is within walking distance. Because it gets many visitors from Hamburg, the town has great restaurants and shops.

After Lüneburg, we visited Hamburg for 2 days and stayed at the gorgeous Westin Hotel above the Elbe Philharmonic.

Our ship was the Queen Anne, the newest ship in the Cunard group. It is a beautiful ship, with traditional English elegance and many modern touches. We splurged and stayed in their highest tier, the Queen’s Grill. The food was outstanding; they fixed you anything you wanted. My husband still cannot have anything near his tongue that has acid in it. They were so accommodating. 
We boarded the Queen Anne in Hamburg and left this beautiful city over the Elbe tunnel at sunset.  This is what I love best about cruising. 

I hope to post part two of my trip soon. 
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Here are some recipes you might like. My salmon rillettes are made with miso and salmon, of course. Click here for the recipe.

These little wonton cups are filled with smoked salmon and avocado, a healthy appetizer or just a snack. Click here for the recipe.

This avocado is filled with bay shrimp and tomato, making it a beautiful appetizer or a light lunch. Click here for the recipe. 

When you hear the word Clafoutis, you think of a fancy dish that takes time and effort. That is not the case with this cherry clafoutis. It is ridiculously easy to make and will impress your friends. Think of a cross between a Dutch baby or popover and flan, with fruit embedded. The only time-consuming step is pitting the cherries. I read that some French recipes use cherries that are not pitted. My husband likes this dessert; guess what his job is. 

Life on the cove has been good. My husband still hasn’t gotten most of his taste buds back, but he is healthy and enjoying life. I haven’t been in the kitchen much because we spent July in Europe. Hopefully, I will take some time to write about it. In the meantime, I have to deal with a nasty fall. Yes, it does happen at a certain age. I am thankful that I didn't break anything, just some sore muscles, a big hematoma that turned my eyes into raccoon eyes, and some issues with my Achilles tendon. 

I consulted my French friend Marie, and she has a similar recipe. Hers is not written down. I tried several recipes that use butter and milk. They all taste great, but I stuck with the one I found in one of my cookbooks, A Little Taste of France, with recipes by Maria Villegas and Sarah Randell. 
You can use different fruits in the clafoutis, but I make it when cherries are in season. Cherries are the main attraction in this simple dessert. You could substitute vanilla paste or extract. Kirsch is a colorless German brandy made from Morello cherries; it adds depth to the clafoutis. 
I like this dish because it is not overly sweet or rich. I like it warm the first day, but it is fine in the fridge for several days. Whipped cream really elevates this dish.
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​Ingredients:
Serves  6
I used a 9-inch round baking pan.

¾ cup (185ml) heavy whipping cream 
½ cup  125ml) milk
1 vanilla pod
3 eggs
¼ cup (60g) sugar
⅔ cup (85g) all-purpose flour
1 TBS. Kirsch
1 lb ( 460g) black cherries
Butter to grease the pie pan
confection sugar 


Directions: 
Pit the cherries. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter the baking pan. Put the cream in a small saucepan. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds with a knife or spoon, and add them to the cream. Gently heat the cream for a few minutes. Remove from the heat, then add the milk. Cool. Remove the vanilla pod. 
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar, then whisk in the flour and Kirsch. Add the cherries to the buttered pan, then pour the batter over the cherries.  
Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar through a sieve. 
Guten Appetit!
Recipe from a Little Taste of France
Adapted by the sunnycovechef
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You want a sweeter cherry dessert. Try my Black Forest choclate mouse. 
​Click herer for the recipe

Here is a quintessential German recipe called Rote Grütze. It’s a fruit compote served with vanilla sauce. A fruit lover’s delight. If you are up for a recipe that preserves fruit in alcohol for the winter, click here. It’s called a Rumtopf, and it was my father’s favorite.