Yes, I know I have been remiss in updating the blog. Rest assured, it isn't because I gave up cooking or eating. I've travelled a bit and have taken the lazy days of summer to heart. I remember my trip based on what I ate, Mussels and pomme frites in Brussels (of course), Raclette in Geneva, Thumper in Prague, and "Cosmopolitans" in Bratislava.
I have to recommend Mussels in Brussels. There are plenty of places to get good mussels in the States. I think the difference in Belgium is that even the sketchy eateries know how to perfectly cook a mussel so they are flavorful and don't taste like a rubber band. Just instinct, but I think the local beer helps a lot. I am not a french fry gal, but the pomme frites in Brussels converted me. I was confidentially told that the secret is frying the pomme frites twice resulting in a crispy exterior and creamy interior.
Our hosts weren't too excited about having raclette for dinner in the middle of summer, but lucky for me they acquiesced. Raclette, a type of Swiss Cheese, has a fairly strong, but pleasant, flavor. Traditionally, the swiss mountain men would take a wheel of raclette and melt it on the fire and then scrape off the melted cheese and serve it over potatoes or pickles. The modern version is "raclette a gogo," or a basket of potatoes and cornichons and pickled onions, and of course cheese. It's a gogo because as soon as you finish one plate of cheese another miraculously appears. I think I literally ate a pound of cheese. If you can find raclette in the States, I highly recommend trying it. If you don't have a raclette maker (they sell them at Williams Sonoma), melt the cheese under the broiler. Serve it with boiled fingerling potatoes and pickles.
The Kitchen Klutz Enjoying A Bratislavan CosmoThe rest of the trip was just as satisfying. The rabbit in Prague was delicious. It was served with a honey bacon reduction. The sauce was actually very light and perfect with the rabbit which truly does taste like chicken. In Bratislava, I ordered my "Cosmopolitan" by pointed to the table next to me and, using universal food language, motioned that I wanted what she was drinking. The Slovakian version of the Cosmo is SO much better that the US version. It tasted like a mixture of sour cherries (not the robitussin cough syrup version of cherry liquor, but real sour cherries) and subtle layers of Chinese five spice powder. I wish I got the recipe. I did buy some Slovakian Cherry liquor so I might try to experiment at home.
Anyway, back to the real world and real American cuisine. I bought a duck at the farm market yesterday as well as some fresh figs. I'm going to experiment roasting the duck with the figs. Stay tuned for the results...