International cuisine is one of my passions. This page will include some of my favorite recipes and gourmet food sites on the Web. Like many Americans who enjoy cooking as a hobby, I found Julia Child and her marvelous series on PBS inspirational. Another major influence was PBS cooking host Joyce Chen. Both of these women showed us that we could "master the art of French cooking" or even prepare hot and sour soup in our very own kitchens.

Recipes:

• Guacamole
• Kale Soup (Couvres)
• Key Lime Pie
• Königsberg Poached Meatballs (Königsberger Klopse)
• Lamb Tagine
• Mediterranean Chicken
• Potato Dumplings (Kartoffelklöße)
• Sauerbraten
• Shrimp Curry
• Spinach Massala with Cauliflower

SAUERBRATEN
(North German Style)

4 lbs. beef for pot roast
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
2-1/2 cups water
2 cups cider vinegar
2 medium onions, sliced
2 Tbl. mixed pickling spices
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. whole black pepper
8 whole cloves
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbl. fat

Wipe meat; rub with salt and ginger. Bring 2-1/2 cups water and remaining ingredients, except fat, to boil; pour over meat. Cool and refrigerate, covered, 3 days, turning once each day. Remove meat; reserve liquid. Dry with paper towel; brown on all sides in fat in heavy kettle. Put on rack; add 1 cup liquid and half the onions and spices from liquid. Cover and simmer about 3-1/2 hours, adding more liquid if necessary. Slice meat. Strain hot liquid; add enough strained reserved liquid to make 3 cups. Skim off fat. Thicken with a little flour and water or 6 crushed gingersnaps. Add meat, and keep hot until serving time. Serve with Kartoffelklöße.

POTATO DUMPLINGS
(Kartoffelklöße)

6 medium (2 lbs.) potatoes, peeled
2 slightly beaten eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup farina
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Boil potatoes; put through ricer (makes about 4-1/2 cups); let cool. Add rest of ingredients; beat well. Roll in balls the size of golf balls. Drop into boiling salted water to cover (1 tsp. salt to 1 qt. water). Let simmer 20 minutes. Lift out.

Sprinkle with parsley. Serve dumplings hot. Makes 6 servings.

PORTUGUESE KALE SOUP (Couvres)

1 cup pea beans
1 lb. kale
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 lb. linguiça
2 cups sliced potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain in the morning, add onion, sausage, sliced; kale, cut; salt, vinegar, and 9 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 2-1/2 hours. Add potatoes and 1 cup of water. Cook until potatoes are tender. Correct seasoning.

TUNISIAN LAMB TAGINE

1 1/2 pounds lamb, cut in 1-inch cubes
2 Tbl. olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 1-pound can tomatoes
1 Tbl. minced parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 1/2 oz. jar pitted whole green olives, drained and rinsed

Brown lamb cubes in 10-inch skillet; add water to loosen browned bits in pan. Add tomatoes, parsley, garlic and pepper and bring to gentle boil. Simmer partially covered for 1 hour. Add olives and continue to simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes or until lamb is tender. Sauce should be thick. Yield: 4-6 servings. Serve with couscous.

KÖNIGSBERG POACHED MEATBALLS
(Königsberger Klopse)

In 1945, Königsberg, once a major Hanseatic city in East Prussia, became Kaliningrad, capital of the Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation.

1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbl. butter
1/2 lb. each ground beef, pork and veal
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. anchovy paste
2 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon peel
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Place bread crumbs and milk in a large bowl. Cook onion in butter in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown, moving and turning with a spoon. Add contents of skillet to bowl together with remaining ingredients. Combine lightly, but thoroughly. Shape into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Dust hands and prepare surface with flour to avoid sticking.

3 cups water
2 Tbl. chopped onion
1 bay leaf
1 whole clove
2 peppercorns
1/4 tsp. salt

Bring poaching liquid ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan or stock pot. Carefully put the meatballs into the liquid. Return to boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside to keep warm. Strain and degrease poaching liquid.

2 Tbl. butter
2 Tbl. flour
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl. capers (chopped if large)

Heat butter in saucepan and blend in flour. Heat until mixture bubbles. Gradually whisk in 2 cups of reserved liquid. As mixture thickens, add lemon juice and capers. Bring rapidly to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes longer. Return meatballs to sauce and heat thoroughly. Serve with noodles. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN (Reduced Fat Recipe)

2 pounds skinless chicken pieces
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
1/4 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
1 bay leaf
1 Tbl. water
2 tsp. cornstarch
4 oz. spaghetti, cooked

Rinse chicken; pat dry. Preheat olive oil in large skillet; add chicken and brown for 10-15 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Add undrained tomatoes, wine, sugar, basil, garlic, bay leaf, artichoke quarters and sliced olives. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 35 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm. In a small bowl stir together water and cornstarch. Stir into tomato mixture in skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Serve chicken and sauce over cooked spaghetti. Yield: 4 servings.

SPINACH MASSALA WITH CAULIFLOWER

2 Tbl. peanut oil
1 Tbl. hot curry powder
1/2 Tbl. ground corriander
1/2 Tbl. ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
2 Tbl. chopped green chilis
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 head cauliflower
1 large par-boiled potato, cubed
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
Water

Thaw frozen spinach. Heat oil in a deep Dutch oven until nearly smoking. Add the ground spices and stir until lightly browned. Add garlic, onion, green pepper and green chilis; sauté until soft. Stir in chopped spinach; add about 1/4 cup water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until all ingredients are soft. Pour mixture into a food processor or blender and blend into a smooth sauce. Return to Dutch oven and simmer gently. Break the cauliflower into uniform flowerettes and add to curry sauce. Add enough water to sauce to almost cover cauliflower. Stir evenly and add cubed potato. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until cauliflower is tender. Serve over white or brown rice with chutney and green peas. Yield: 4-6 servings.

GUACAMOLE

2 ripe, medium avocados
2 1/2 Tbl. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbl. grated onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 to 4 Tbl. chopped canned green chilis
Hot sauce to taste

Roughly purée avocados with a fine potato masher so they retain some texture but are smooth. Add remaining ingredients; blend well and chill. To retain color and freshness you may drizzle with a thin film of lemon juice or place an avocado pit in the middle; cover with plastic wrap. Haas avocados from California are my particular favorite for this recipe.

KEY LIME PIE (Jupiter Variation)

The Key Lime Pie became the "honorary" State pie of Florida in 1994. There are numerous variations, but this one has a chiffon texture. Disney World uses green food coloring in their Key Lime Pie. Never do this! Key Limes are yellow and the pie should be pale yellow as well.

4 eggs
1 14-oz. can of Eagle brand condensed milk
1/3 to 1/2 cup of key lime juice
1 graham cracker pie shell
Salt
Cream of tartar

Beat the yolks of 4 eggs and the white of one egg until thick. Add condensed milk and beat again until smooth. Add key lime juice and beat until thick. Beat the remaining three eggwhites until stiff. While beating, add a pinch of salt and cream of tartar to aid in the chemical reaction. Stir a small portion of the beaten eggwhites into the filling mixture. Add remaining beaten eggwhites and fold gently into the filling mixture until smooth, yet light. Do not overdo the folding and do not stir, or you will collapse the whites. Pour the completed filling into the pie shell, and bake in a slow oven (250-275° F) about 30 minutes until the pie is set. Remove from the oven and cool; chill in the refrigerator until completely set. Serve with whipped cream garnished with Persian lime slices or plain. Yield: 6-8 servings.

SHRIMP CURRY

1 pound uncooked shrimp
1 Tbl. butter or margarine
1 1/2 Tbl. finely chopped onion
3/4 Tbl. curry powder
1/3 tsp. ground ginger
1 14-oz. can coconut milk (use "lite" if you prefer)
1/2 Tbl. cornstarch
1/3 cup milk (use fat-free if you prefer)
1 Tbl. lemon juice
1/3 Tbl. salt

Shell and de-vein shrimp; keep cold in refrigerator. Melt butter or margarine in large saucepan. Add onion and cook until transparent. Add curry powder and ginger; stir to heat spices. Add coconut milk. Mix cornstarch and milk; stir into coconut milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened and lightly bubbling. Adjust thickness by adding a little more cornstarch or milk. Add shrimp, lemon juice and salt. Cook uncovered over low heat for about 5 minutes or until shrimp are cooked. Do not overcook the shrimp. Serve over rice and garnish with green peas. Yield: 4 servings.

Fine Food Links:

• About Chinese Cuisine
• Epicurious
• Food Network
• Global Gourmet
• Iron Chef "Unofficial" Homepage
• Julia Child
• Season by Season
• Top Chef

ekwerner@gate.net
©2009 Edward K. Werner
Last updated: November 13, 2009