Barszcz Czerwony – Polish Red Borscht

A simple, yet healthy recipe. Borscht is made in Eastern Europe; from Russia to Ukraine, to Poland. Poland also has another borscht, that is white (without beets, barszcz biały).

After browsing recipes in English and Polish, the Polish variety of borscht is very simple. Some may make a fermented beet starter, also known as kwas. Others simple make it a beet soup. You can’t really add beets to anything without making a mess, so be prepared for some clean up (I don’t recommend storing leftovers of this one as this can make a mess)

There are basic ingredients in the soup, nothing fancy:

• Beets, or beet kwas
• Garlic
• Onions (white or yellow)
• Beef, Vegetable, or Chicken Broth
• Marjoram or allspice
• Salt and Pepper
• Vinegar, or lemon juice (if omitting the kwas
• (Optional: carrots and celery)

1. You can either bake the beets in the oven first, or add in them chopped, raw. Either way, start with sautéing your onion.
2. Then add garlic and beets, and any other vegetable you are using.
3. Add stock, vinegar or lemon juice, and seasoning, and simmer for as long as you would like.
4. It is optional to top with fresh dill and/or sour cream as well.

Side note: the Polish borscht is the simplest of them all. Russians may add cabbage and meat as well, and the Ukrainians add extras as well. There is also a traditional Christmas meal in Poland where mushrooms are added to the borscht.

I hope you enjoyed reading, learning, and cooking!

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Salata Od Hobotnice -Octopus Salad

This is a Croatian dish, specifically from the coastal region of Dalmatia. It starts with a simple dressing mix of:

• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Parsley
• S+P
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Olives and/or capers
• Vinegar (I used balsamic vinegar)
• Lemon Juice

It then gets mixed with cooked octopus (I used the frozen cooked squid tentacles and threw in some mussels as well), and also boiled golden potatoes cut into chunks.

• Octopus or squid (cooked)
• Golden potatoes
• Mussels not standard but optional

Not traditional, but I also topped it with:

• Pimiento

Banana peppers may added as well, and again; mussels are not the standard

Other common ingredients include:

• Bay leaf
• Onions

Fredericksburg Home Kitchen Cook Book

This is a neat book with recipes from 12 other editions with the first one being from 1916 and having 500 copies. Each recipe is submitted with their name and the year it was submitted. The 13th edition was released in 1996.

There is a decent amount of German food recipes, and the rest is good home cooking. Every recipe is simple and no one is trying to overcomplicate everything.

I got my copy at the Pioneer Museum in Fredericksburg, though next year is the 175th anniversary so I’m sure there will be something special for that momentous occasion.

Rosolje

Rosolje is an Estonian beet potato salad, with a “kaste” (sauce)

Diced Salad

• Beets
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Pickles
• Red or White Onion
• Green Apple
• Herring Fillets

Kaste

• Mayonnaise
• Plain full fat yogurt or sour cream
• Vinegar
• Mustard (preferably hot)
• Horseradish
• S&P

Beet Salad

1. Equal parts potato and beets, then whatever you want to add

Kaste

1. Equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream or yogurt, then the rest to taste

—Serve with boiled eggs and chives or parsley

Pizza

Lengthy description under recipe

Makes 2 large pizzas

• 1 slightly heaping scoops of 1 1/2 cups of bread flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• Salt
• 3/4 cup very warm water
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Olive oil for bowl

Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add water, mix, then add oil.

Knead for about 30 seconds then oil a large boil. Cover with paper towels

Let rest for at least 10 minutes and preheat oven to at least 450 with a pizza stone (more info below recipe)

Spray counter with non-stick spray or use flour, then roll out dough

Cook until your liking

I have a post in the how-to section just about my adoration for pizza stones.

Pizza is used throughout the world including Flammkuchen and flatbreads.

Italy has created very strict rules on certain types of pizza, including Pizza Napoletana (Neapolitan), and you can check out the official rules here: https://www.pizzanapoletana.org/public/pdf/disciplinare%202008%20UK.pdf

Pizza variations are endless, and you could probably cook a different pizza for every week of your life by browsing all the variations throughout the world. My favorite ways to make pizza are:

BBQ Sauce: Brisket, mozzarella, onions

Horseradish Sauce: mozzarella, pastrami, pickles

Queso: chicken, ground beef or chorizo, tomatoes

Cotletta Alla Valdostana

This is a stuffed veal cutlet with prosciutto and fontina. It is basically an Italian cordon bleu.

1. Pound out your veal cutlets if necessary.
2. Place some fontina and prosciutto on one cutlet, then another layer of prosciutto and fontina if possible. Top with another cutlet. Pinch edges to seal
3. Bread in flour, eggs, and your choice of breadcrumbs
4. Serve with gnocchi, potatoes, or anything of your choice

Arancini

More information about Arancini and possible variations is under recipe as always.

Classic Sicilian Arancini – Steps: Risotto, Meat Sauce, and Breading

Arancini is stuffed risotto, classically with a ragù sauce, then battered and deep or pan fried.

Risotto – make sure is it thick and the liquid is absorbed properly for shaping https://food-heritage-archives.com/2020/08/10/risotto/

Meat Sauce

• Onion sautéed in oil
• Ground Meat – your choice
• Tomato Sauce and Paste
• Peas
• White or Red Wine

1. Sautée onions in oil then brown the meat
2. Deglaze with wine, then add peas, sauce, and paste to finish cooking meat
3. You want the sauce to be the same consistency or thicker as the photo below as you will need to stuff the rice with this. If you think it is too thin, run the sauce through a sieve and add more tomato paste
4. Put on a sheet pan to cool quicker

Breading – dip in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs of choice.

1. Put your risotto into one hand, flatten, and then add a heap of sauce. Cup hand to help shape into a ball, adding more risotto if needed to fill gaps. The size of a small lemon is perfect.
2. Bread the arancini then let set in fridge for a good 1/2 hour at least. They are great to make ahead of time and then fry when you’re ready.

Frying

• You oil should be in the the range of 350F if deep frying, but pan fry like any other food, rotating it as needed

Serving – It goes great with tomato sauce and some arugula. You can top with crispy bacon and mozzarella or try multiple cheeses to find your favorite.

More About Arancini, and variations

Arancini has been around for at least 1,000 years, so there have been many variations throughout the years, a very classic Italian way is this Sicilian style. Although most arancini you find in recipes or restaurants is strictly cheese-based, it traditionally has meat, and cheese is optional.

Good variations to do will be to actually add cheeses inside, such as half a small marinated mozzarella ball, or fontina.

A good option for the meat is pancetta or pork jowl, or, chicharrones or cracklings.

Risotto

There are thousands of ways to prepare and use risotto, but I will go into detail at the under the recipe as always.

Risotto Bianco – the most basic risotto.

• The proper rice – arborio, carnaroli, or packages that say “risotto rice”
• Chicken Stock – the ratio is at least 2.5 or 3.5 of liquid to 1 of rice
• Diced onion
• Butter and parmesan
• White Wine or dry vermouth is optional but is used often to deglaze

Steps

1. Get your stock warm in a pot, and keep it at a gentle simmer
2. The rest of the instructions will apply to a separate pan. A wide pan is best.
3. Add onion and sautée in butter until softened
4. Turn heat to med-high and toast the rice – cook until translucent without browning. If you see any browning of the rice, stop and go to next step, but it is not the worst for a couple brown grains
5. Deglaze with wine, cook until almost fully evaporated
6. I keep my heat 3-4/9 now. Add about 2 ladles of the stock for the first go around, then 1 ladle of stock at a time from there on. Do not add more until it is absorbed.
7. Stir at least once a minute, going into the rice is cooked to al dente, 15-20 minutes. If it is not done after 20 minutes from adding the stock, the rice needs to be toasted more and/or the heat needs to be higher.
8. **The classic Italian way is Al Dente, but I personally prefer cooked all the way through.
9. Add butter and freshly grated parmesan.

More About Risotto

As I stated before, risotto possibilities are endless. Once you have this basic risotto down, you can branch out and do a milanese (which is just adding saffron) use beef stock, add mushrooms, top with pesto; really anything.

My favorite additions: sautée bell peppers or celery with the onions, add crushed tomatoes to stock, top with chicken and/or balsamic reduction.

About the rice: The reason risotto recipes call for certain types of rice is because of their starch content. The creaminess of the end product comes from the rice even before the added butter and parm.

A favorite thing of mine is to make the risotto bianco and then make arancini (fried rice balls) with the leftovers. A post for that will be ready by 08/13 with a link in this spot.

Interesting Fact: During the regime of Mussolini, the wheat and semolina imports to Italy were seen as damaging to self-sufficiency, and the solution was rice. It could be produced domestically, and although the campaign for rice was not fully successful, the many recipes for risotto and free rice given to the people made it more well-known.

Now risotto is a popular Italian dish, with the Croatians and others taking a liking to squid ink risotto among other variants.

Ćevapi, or Ćevapčići

Like most of the time, I put the description at the bottom to be recipe user friendly.

The best combination plate I have made has the pita or lepinja (somun), ajvar, ćevapi, sliced raw onions, roasted or raw tomatoes, and cottage cheese.

Ajvar

• Red Bell Peppers
• Eggplant (traditional), zucchini (if you can’t find or stand eggplant)
• Lemon Juice
• Garlic, minced or roasted
• Salt and Olive Oil

1. 1:1 ratio of each vegetable by weight, though more peppers if anything. Start by roasting the bell peppers and the other vegetable in the oven on 375 until charred and peelable (zucchini gets soft but does not peel easy). It helps to wrap the vegetables in a towel after roasting for easier peel.
2. Deseed the vegetables and then depending on your preference: chop finely, food process everything, or blend. I like blending.

Ćevapi – as with all recipes there are different variations but here are the main components

• Ground meat: can use beef, pork, or lamb. Combine 2 or 3 if you choose.
• Garlic cloves, pre-roasted in olive oil
• S&P
• Paprika
• Spicy Spice (I prefer berber, cayenne, etc.)
• No egg needed, though if used, go light so there is less liquid

Roast garlic

Mix ingredients, done. Just kidding. Let flavors absorb in meat for at least 30 minutes. They taste great on the barbecue and is common to cook there, but I prefer to catch all of the delicious juices for later.

Cook in pan with hot olive oil on medium heat, and be sure to carefully rotate them until the outer layer is sturdy. I like to throw raw onion in the pan to get more flavor as well. Continue cooking meat until your liking.

For extra deliciousness, after the meat is out, deglaze the pan with balsamic vinagar and add some butter, then let the pita soak in the juices.

Pita Bread or Lepinja

• I don’t have a recipe or ideas on how to make them on my own, and I’m certainly no expert in breads, so my favorite one is from the NYT Cooking app. For breads, they have the best ratings and easy to follow, though I used a different website for these pictures below.
• One tip I have for pita bread is to make the dough stickier than most breads. The pita does not need pockets, but it is how it is traditionally served, though it is tricky to get the consistency right.

The ćevapi or ćevapčići is a Balkan tradition, though it developed from the Ottoman’s kebabs during their occupation. It is the national dish of Bosnia & Herzegovina but it is shared greatly in the region. Serbia and Croatia are famous for the ćevapi as well, along with the other former Yugoslav states.

Culture side note – You will find that there is a common bond between these countries but there are cultural differences. Religion is a big one, and you are welcome to dive deeper into the conflict that occurred in the region, with tensions still high.

Back to the meal, ajvar is the most common side dish to ćevapi, and goes along with the pita, or lepinja (somun) bread. The main difference with those two is the lepinja (also known as somun) is risen 3x and is more region specific than the pita, which is used in far more countries outside the Balkans.

Geography side note – The Balkans defined by Britanica: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia.

• These countries, though similar in geography, should not be grouped together as one country, just like you would not group Ireland and North Ireland, Sudan and South Sudan, or Israel and Palestine based on their geography alone.

German Music Part 1

Music is an important part of every culture, and out of all the countries in Europe, the main one I have been focusing on lately are the ones in German. Some of my favorites as of recent have been Heino and Ilse Werner.

When listening to German language music, I have found there are quite a few English language songs covered in German, or even redone in English. It doesn’t matter which genre; Freddy Quinn sang old Americana songs in English such as “Don’t Fence Me In”, but also sang “Heimweh” (a German version of “Memories are made of this”) in German. James Last, a bandleader, played a wonderful take of “Orange Blossom Special”; while there are no words, it is truly an American song in origin. James Last did not cover this song only once, he incorporated it into his performances on many occasions.

When I listen to music, it goes in a pattern where I’ll listen to the same 20 or so songs until I find a couple more to switch in, but some German songs to get inspired into delving further are:

Heino:

Blau blüht der Enzian – a romantic song with the image of the enzian in mind (a beautiful flower that grows in mountainous areas)

Rocking Around the Christmas Tree (in German) – with Heino and Sarah Jane Scott

Ein Heller und ein Batzen – a folk drinking song dating back to the 1820’s according to the German Wikipedia, which seems correct given the currency: Heller and Batzen, went into disuse during the 1800’s.

Auld Lang Syne (Ein Jahr Vergeht) – Heino’s take on the famous Scottish song of the same name. This is my preferred version, though a great English version is done by The Choral Scholars of Univeristy College Dublin.

Ilse Werner

Ich hab’ dich und du hast mich – Translated to “I have you and have me”. A love song, with an upbeat tempo.

Ja, das ist meine Melodie – her singing a lovely melody

Sing ein Lied, wenn du mal traurig bist – Translated to “sing a song, when you are sad”. A cheerful song to sing when you’re sad.

While this list is very short, I hope it gives you good starting points to expand your knowledge of German music on.

New Scandinavian Cooking

A show on KLRN that showcases the beautiful land of Scandinavia as well as the cuisine of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and Denmark.

Each show features a different area such as the mountainous regions of Norway to the southern coastal lands of Finland. The regions have their own cuisine and the host really focuses on the history and why the food is popular where it is. For example, rye grain is heartier than wheat and actually become a staple out of necessity in order to brave the tough years where wheat would not survive.

The meals they make during each show is not cooked in a kitchen but rather the outdoors. They have a mobile cooking setup where you see the beautiful scenery while getting to know Scandinavian cuisine.

Tarragon Soda

If you haven’t heard of it, try it. It smells wonderful and tastes just as delicious. I found it while wandering through a shop called Sasha’s International Market in San Antonio, Texas. The market has Eastern European food/drinks with a focus on Russian specialties (the shop will have its own post on my blog).

Tarragon is used medicinally as well cooking, and is definitely my favorite herb. When I read “tarragon” and it looked like a liquid I got so excited. The idea of tarragon soda was invented in Georgia (the country), and is very popular in Russia, and other Eastern European countries.

I personally have never seen this offered in any grocery store, though maybe I haven’t looked hard enough.

Enjoy!

Battalion – San Antonio, Italian

I just got the food to-go as I heard the music choice was not the best, and when I picked it up, I confirmed that. The interior decor inside an old fire station was definitely contemporary, but in a good way. The main color scheme was red and black, and was very well designed.

I had to wait longer than the app “Toast” said, though they explained that 20 minutes was too short of a time to prepare a 3 course meal, which I totally understood with me working in the food industry. The offered me a soda or water while I waited which made it up in my mind, and was very considerate.

The food (again with no star ratings)

Ricotta Gnocchi Amatriciana (tomato, guanciale, red onion, chiles, pecorino) $12- the gnocchi was classic sized gnocchi though there could have been a little more guanciale. Overall, great taste, and for the price, I would recommend.

Berkshire Pork Saltimbocca (charred lemon polenta, prosciutto, sage, pork jus) $24- I didn’t see the charring on the polenta, though it was delicious and the star of the night. The sage leaf was left whole and definitely could have been more incorporated though I guess they were looking for more of a decorative item. The saltimbocca was flavored well, though overcooked. I never judge a dish by the way it was cooked due to that being an error by the cook, and not the chef. Too small of portion for me to reorder. Simple pork dishes should be less.

Tiramisu (marsala-mascarpone,coffee, cocoa) $10- there are only 3 things I am truly a snob about: gnocchi, risotto, and tiramisu. Tiramisu is my absolute favorite dish in the world, when prepared right. There was too much cocoa powder and left a chalky taste, and definitely not the melt in your mouth, heaven on earth type of feeling. If you have had delicious tiramisu, you know the only thing that can come close is Kentucky Bourbon Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce (forget about ice cream).

Overall, for the ambiance alone, I would recommend trying it once, though for the food, it is worthy of the prices mostly. I wouldn’t personally recommend this Italian restaurant for any foodies, though it is a neat experience.

Haluski

An Eastern European food typically attributed to Polish origin. It can be a vegetarian dish by not using pork, and is mostly omitted anyways. I added it for more filling. This takes about 10 minutes from starting your prep to finish. Cheap, delicious, and easy.

• Butter
• Onion
• Cabbage
• Egg noodles
• (Optional) – pork: bacon, pancetta, kielbasa

1. Heat a pot of water and a pan with some butter and pork if using.
2. Chop the onion then put in pan of butter and sauté for a couple minutes
3. Add egg noodles to water then chop your cabbage
4. Add your cabbage and some salt and pepper to pan of onions and cook until soft
5. Add drained egg noodles.
6. Done

Roast Vegetables

Oil and seasonings are the main thing.

For potatoes I may do the standard mix I use: salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Then I may add Italian seasoning.

For broccoli, cauliflower, or broccolini, I just use that 4 spice mix.

For carrots I add some brown sugar and the 4 spice mix.

Whatever the vegetable; toss in olive oil, garlic oil, or your preferred oil, and season generously.

Then put on a pan with parchment paper on 375. Stir once or twice and turn pan around to cook evenly. The time varies greatly depending on the size you cut the vegetables, and the variety.

Broccolini will be done in less than 15 minutes, while carrots may take over 30.

Roasted Garlic – Garlic Oil

Garlic oil is a byproduct of roasting garlic and is commonly used in restaurants to create a more flavorful oil.

I usually buy the peeled garlic for this when I make it at home due to the large amount of garlic I used.

How-to

Fill a bread or similar sized pan halfway with peeled garlic then add olive oil until it covers it by at least 1/2 inch. The garlic that is uncovered will cook more quickly and may brown too much if left alone.

Put the pan in the oven with foil loosely on top at 350 for at least 45 minutes. You are waiting until the garlic is soft and mashable. It will be a long while before the garlic is burnt. I usually check every 10-15 minutes from here on out, though you can lightly roast the garlic until it has not really changed color, or you can wait until it is a golden brown.

Cool the pan once it is done so you can put the strained garlic oil into a container that won’t melt.

Either keep the garlic as is, or purée it and find the many useful ways such as marinating chicken or making garlic bread.

Risotto – about

Risotto is a dish with starchy rice cooked in a broth/stock. The rice used primarily are arborio, carnaroli, and vialone.

The rice is usually cooked by adding the liquid a ladle full at a time with very frequent stirring, though many are now just adding the liquid and letting be.

When starting the risotto, there is usually at least onions sautéed in butter and sometimes celery as well, then the rice is toasted, then deglazed with vermouth or wine.

The broth is then slowly added, waiting until it gets absorbed before adding more.

It is classically cooked al dente, but most restaurants in America will serve it tender.

Restaurants from different cuisines have taken on this delicious rice dish. I have seen it in Albuquerque at a Spanish (Spain) restaurant who put hatch chiles and corn it, and at a German style restaurant in Fredericksburg.

• Fun fact of the day: Mussolini tried to get Italy to eat more risotto instead of pasta due to the country’s reliance on importing the wheat.