Belgium waffles. Gaufre de Liège .

Waffles can be found throughout Europe in the early Middle Ages. These were originally much lighter as they were cooked in flat irons with biblical images depicted on them and often also the use of wine was one of their ingredients. It is around the 18th century that we hear that the famous waffle of Liege is developed and they say that it was the chef of the Prince bishop of Liege who came up with the brioche dough recipe requiring a much deeper iron to cook and caramelize the waffle or gaufre. The actual first recipe of the waffle of Liege comes to us in 1921 and has remain the most popular waffle in Belgium.

Today, if you travel through Belgium, you will find little stands of waffles, freshly made at all times of the year. Traditionally , they are served with powered sugar, as they are quite sweet with all the pearl sugar they are cooked with in the dough, but also you may have them with chocolate, berry fruits and fresh cream.

This Christmas I wanted to try to make these delicious waffles but I needed a must have ingredient " pear sugar". It is almost impossible to find in the US pearl sugar. Maybe in New York in some specialty store, but in the Houston area Ikea and Wholefoods which used to carry it, do not anymore. So, if I wanted to make them I would have to order it online. On Amazon you may order it in 5 pound bags, which makes it a little more economical since it is imported from Belgium at $7.00 per pound. I decided that it would be on my Christmas wish list.

Here the recipe follows on how to make these wonderful waffles. Make sure you have the time as they are not difficult, just require enough time for the dough to go through the different stages and a little patience.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 10 waffles

3 tsp of active dry yeast
1/2 cup of scalded whole milk ( 110- 115 degrees)
4 Tbsp plus 4 tsp of water (110-115 degrees)
4 cups of King Arthur Bread flour
2 large room temperature lightly beaten eggs
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp of light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp of salt
16 Tbsp or two sticks of room temperature unsalted butter
2 Tbsp of honey
4 tsp of vanilla
1 1/2 cups of Pearl sugar ( Lars brand) is a good choice.

Okay, now I am going to try to simplify this to its simplistic form. it is time consuming but the result is so worth it. All my children absolutely adore these and certainly everyone who has been in Belgium would agree that these types of waffles are really to die for.

Start by mixing the yeast , milk and water till the yeast dissolves, then add the beat up eggs and 1/3 of the flour. once it all blended add the remaining of flour but do not mix, just pour over the top, cover and let rise for about 75 to 90 minutes till you see the yeast bubbling over the top of the flour.
After this point you will add the slat and sugar, mix and add the vanilla and honey and put on the mixer, mixing for three minutes at a time, adding two tablespoons of butter at a time and mixing, wait one minute in between each three minutes till all the butter has been added. then cover with a plastic and let rise for four hours. after these four hours, you will place the risen dough in the fridge for 30 minutes and which you will give it a punch with a spatula. The risen dough will be place over a work table to then make it the shape of a rectangle and fold into a envelope. Cover with plastic and place some heavy plates on top or some kind of other weight and in the fridge overnight. In the morning, fold in the 1 1/2 cup of pearl sugar. It will be hard and lumpy, put that is the way that it should be. Mold with your hands and and cut into 10 equal balls, the shape of a football. Pat down and place on a cooking sheet. Cover slightly with plastic and let rise for another 90 minutes. After this you should have some very nice double the size ovals, nice and warm and soft.
Yes, you should be excited at this point. You have waited so long for this moment and the time necessary has produced magic. Now you will heat your waffle iron ( for a conventional waffle iron you will unplug or lower the temperature once the dough is placed in so that the sugar will not burn). Traditionally and in Belgium, cast iron waffles are used to make these delicious waffles but in your home you can very well use the small waffle makers just make sure to not burn the sugar, just caramelize. The ending result will be a wonderful waffle no one can resist. Serve alone or with powered sugar or with chocolate syrup and fresh whipped cream or strawberries.

ENJOY

Berry Sorbet

Gelatos, icecream and sorbets are always linked to Italy. These are less creammy but yet still have the wonderful full flavor of icecream found in the United States.Today I made a berry sorbet with frozen raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Here the recipe:

INGREDIENTS


3 cups of frozen triple berries.
1 1/2 cup of sugar ( you can use half sugar substitute)
1/4 cup of corn syrup
1 cup of cold water-juice of one lemon
1/4 cup of a dry red wine

Blend berries with water, then add all the reamining ingredients. You may freeze or put in an ice-cream maker. Serve with a topping made of Mascarpone cheese and whip-cream

French style peas ( France) Petit pois

The origin of "peas" is a little obscure.  Some say that the earliest findings go back to far East Asia, others say that they originated in the Middle east.  In both places we can find this crop as part of the diet of the local people several thousand years BC.  Charlemagne brought peas to France around 800 and since then it has become a staple in the English and French diet.  It was a crop that grew easily in cold climates and it was cheap.  Dried peas became very popular because they were a cheap and healthy way to sustain the poor. The traditional split peas soup with bacon developed from these dried peas.
In France, a different variety of pea was created.  A very small and delicate pea called " Petit pois" which was coveted by the rich and used in delicate French recipes cooked with butter and other fine ingredients.
This recipe is easy and very flavorful.  By adding a whole head of lettuce to the stock, the peas become extra tender and smooth.
The recipe and ingredients are:

INGREDIENTS
One pound of small green peas ( petit pois)
One whole head of lettuce( romaine, green leaf)
Ten strips of bacon
1/2 pound of small french onions
One litre of beef stock
2TBSP of butter
2 TBSP of olive oil
2TBSP of flour
Salt to taste
Pepper

In saucepan saute the bacon cut up in squares into the oil and butter.  Then add the peeled onions.  Add to this, the 2 TBSP of flour.  When this is complete, add the one litree of beef stock.  Let come to a boil and then add the cut up head of lettuce.  When this mixture comes to a boil, add the one pound of peas and salt to taste.  Let cook on low heat till the liquid has almost disappeared and the onions and peas are tender.

Paella de Marisco (Valencia, Spain)

The origin of this dish from Spain comes from the eastern part of Spain, Valencia.  The dish originates to make use of what the land here offers.  When you are near the sea  it will be made with sea food, but inland a vegetable and chicken or rabbit version is the preference.  The main ingredient is rice and of course it would be, since in these lands you will finds large areas suitable for the growing of a very nice round grain of rice.  To this, it is added some vegetables and meat or seafood all cooked with the fragrance of saffron and paprika in a large open two handle pan called " paella". The name of the dish originates from the name of the pan in the Catalan language.  Then the word in turn came from the French " paelle" and this from the Latin "patella.  The dish became so popular in the mid 19th century that the name of the dish took the name of the pan that it was cooked in. Today it is considered by the rest of the world as one of Spain's main dishes but Spaniards know that the dish really took off from the Eastern part of Spain.

INGREDIENTS
(For a Paella to feed 6 to 8 people)
6 -1/3 cups of rice (risotto type)
 1/4 pound of fresh green beans
2 artichokes ( Cleaned and will use only the tender parts and the heart of it)
4 large cloves of garlic
8 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of paprika
saffron
1 pound of fresh ripe tomatoes  diced
12 to 16 jumbo shrimp ( with head and tail)
16 mussels in their shell
Squid, if desired, cut into rings
Salt to taste
Roasted red bell peppers cut into strips
18 - 1/3 cups of water
baby clams if desired

First you will saute the green beans and the artichokes, adding salt to taste so that they have a golden color in the 12 tablespoons of olive oil. When this is complete you will remove them from the paella pan.  Second

you will make a tomato sauce by sauteing first the garlic, spices and tomatoes.  Make sure to add one 1/3 cup of water to this process as the garlic and paprika burn very easily. Cook till the tomatoes have turned into a nice puree consistency.  When this is done you will place the vegetables back in the pan evenly as decorating the pan.  Add the whole remaining 17 -1/3 cups of water and let cook till it comes to a boil.  When water is boiling add the shrimp, mussels and remaining sea desired placing these evenly throughout the pan. Straight forward add the 6- 1/3 cups of rice evenly spread through the paella pan.  Add salt always tasting to make sure you have the right proportion.  Decorate with the roasted bells peppers and let cook over a medium low flame for about 20 minutes.  Do not stir!!!! After the 20 minutes, turn off the flame and cover with a cloth for another 10 minutes.  Garnish with lemon wedges and serve!!

German banana Nut bread " German bananenkuchen"

Those of you that have traveled to Germany know that one of the best things that you can enjoy is some very good homestyle bread in many varieties and forms.  You may also know that most of Americas bakery comes from Europe and especially to countries like England and Germany.
This recipe is very simple.  Part of the secret is to use extremely ripe bananas, almost caramelized.

Ingredients
6 very ripe bananas
2 -1/4 cups of brown sugar
3 sticks of softened butter
3 cups of flour
1-1/2 tsp. soda
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups of chopped pecans or walnuts
pinch of salt

Cream together all ingredients and add then the mashed bananas and nuts.  Pour into two bread molds previously greased and bake in a 300 degree oven until done.  This recipe can be frozen.

Pisto- " Ratatouillle" ( Castilla/ La Mancha, Murcia - Spain)

This dish is a very simple and delicious dish that goes well as an accompaniment to eggs, fish or pork.  It has a very similar sister in France " Ratatouille".    Ratatouille has its origin in the region of Provence The dish consist of diced fresh vegetables ( onions, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, potato and lots of fresh tomatoes)  The french version adds spices like marjoram, bay leaf, basil and thyme.

In Spain, this dish is basically the same but without the spices and instead might add a little garlic.  The recipe is as follows:

2 Onions
2 Zuchinis
1 Potato ( if desired)
1 Eggplant ( if desired)
1Green pepper
1 Redbell pepper
6 to 8 Red ripe tomatoes
2-3 garlic cloves

Olive oil

In a large frying pan put enough olive oil to cover generously the pan.  Chop into small pieces all the ingredients adding the scalded tomatoes at the end.  Add salt to taste and let cook uncovered  till all ingredients are cooked and all water from the vegetables has evaporated.  Serve warm typically with fried eggs and some bread but it also goes well with Tortilla española.

Cannelloni (Spain - Catalonia, Italy)

Cannelloni are traditionaly Italian but  we do not think that in Spain.These have been part of the Spanish cuisine for many years and especially in the region of Catalonia where on St. Stephens day, the 26th of December it is traditiobn to have these.  St. Stephens is a holiday in which the purpose is to rest after the holidays of the 24th and the 25th.  In England this would be Boxing Day, which is a very observed holiday.

Cannelloni can be made of different kinds of meats, fish or sefood.  Also quite popular are vegetarian Cannelloni.

Here I will be giving a Tuna Cannelloni recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion diced

2 medium tomatoes diced

2 cans of Albacore tuna cut in small pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

In a frying pan add about two tbsp of olive oil. Then add the above ingredients and sautéed till the onion and tomatoes are tender. Set aside to cool

Bechamel sauce

In a sauce pan, melt half a cup of butter or one stick of butter. Then add about 1/4 cup of flour to the butter and stir to form an even mixture. Gradually add milk to the flour and butter and stir till it thickens to form a nice smooth semi thick sauce. The amount of milk needed may vary  but you will need about 3 cups of milk. Better to use whole milk. Add salt to taste.

You will need some Cannelloni pasta. They sell different kinds of Cannelloni pasta, some are flat sheets that you will have to boil in water and then cool, others are ready in a tube shape. What ever type you use, follow the intructions in the packaging before filling them with the tuna mixture. As you fill the Cannelloni, place each one in an ready buttered baking dish. When complete, pour the Béchamel sauce evenly over all the Cannelloni.  Then add about two cups of Spanish fried tomato sauce.

Finish by adding grated Provolone and Parmesan cheese to the dish. Bake on an oven of 350 degrees Farenheit for about  20 to 30 minutes until  the cheese is melted and golden. 

Serve hot with a nice Romaine lettuce salad.

Vegetarian Red Lentil Pate ( Indian/British Fusion Cuisine)

Britain's past relation with its colonies, and in this case India, has had an influence in the amount of food, produce, restaurants and especially in how vegetarian food is treated.
Vegetarian pates are a favorite in Britain.  i was first exposed to them through a famous restaurant located in London, near Oxford street, CRANKS.  This restaurant had some incredible food back in the mid eighties.  Today the restaurant does not exist but it has become a small chain of fast healthy vegetarian choices to kind of grab on the go.
This recipe of my own is inspired though on some of CRANKS pates.  Recipes is as follows:

INGREDIENTS

One cup of red lentils (Soak over night in water)
One small yellow onion chopped
Two or three cloves of garlic
One teaspoon of curry
Two teaspoons of red chile paste
One tablespoon of honey
One small glass of white wine
Salt to taste

Cook the lentils in a saucepan with just enough water to cover and with the small onion and garlic chopped.  Add salt and let simmer till the water is consumed and the lentils and onion is tender.
Drain excess water if any and then cook over heat the remaining ingredients.
Prepare a non flavoured gelatin.  Add to the gelatin flovor by addin some wostershire sauce, wine, curry and a pich of sugar.
Pour gelatin into a mold, then add the mixture of lentils ( these will have an almost puree consistency). Finaly add another layer of gelatin mixture over the top of the lentils.  Cool in fridge.  When cold and firm unmold carefully and sprinkle some Red pepper and Paprika on the top.  Enjoy with Indian bread or crakers.

Hard Boiled Eggs filled with tuna ( Spain) Huevos rellenos de atun

Spain has a love for tuna in its dishes.  I know many dishes that contain tuna fish as one of the main ingredients.  In fact, you can always find cans of tuna in my pantry because there are so many different ways you can use it.  Many tourist traveling for first time to Spain are surprised when they order their salad ( a house salad) and it comes accompanied of tuna and some olives.  Yes, tuna, I would say is one of the most common ingredients in Spanish cooking.

INGREDIENTS

One large can of tuna

One dozen eggs

Mayonnaise

Spanish tomato sauce

One small onion

This is really a very simple recipe with a lot of flavor an easy to prepare.  Start by cutting in half the boiled eggs.  Do not over cook them or the egg yolk will turn green.

Prepare a mixture of tuna, chopped onion and mayonnaise.  Fill each half egg white with the tuna mixture.  Prepare the tomato sauce or you can buy a already prepared Spanish style fried tomato sauce.  Apply a spoonful of the Tomato sauce to each egg and finally spread on top the egg yolks all crumbled with a pinch of salt all over the eggs.  Chill and serve.

Fried Tomato Sauce

To make this sauce you will need some ripe tomatoes ( 6-10)

3-4 garlic cloves

olive oil

beef flavor bouillon ( one large)

Let the tomatoes cook till all  the water has reduce and the tomatoes acquire a dark rich red color.

Once done, you will have to use a puree strainer to get a smooth mixture with no tomatoes skins.

Russian Potato Salad ( Ensaladilla Rusa) Russia, Spain, Italy, France

Russian Potato Salad  was created by a young French chef who travelled to Moscow and set up a restaurant called The Emitage where this salad became the signature dish by young Lucien Olivier and called Olivier Salad.  The salad consisted of potatoes and varied vegetables mixed with chicken, shrimp, Lobster and then mixed all together with a secret mayonnaise  elaborated by chef Olivier.  Olivier died young and never revealed his recipe but another chef colleague tried to copy Olivier recipe in a moment of carelessness.  The salad was then imitated through Russia and its popularity travelled to other European countries becoming extremely popular in Spain. You may find this recipe being served in every cafe, bar, restaurant in Spain as an appetizer or "Tapa".  It has become an established known Spanish appetizer through the entire Spanish country.
INGREDIENTS ( Ingredients may vary, here one of my personal variations)

 Two or three potatoes ( medium to large)
Two or three boiled eggs
One can of tuna
One small  can of tuna
Two to three large carrot boiled and diced
One small package of frozen peas
One can of asparagus
One can of artichoke  hearts
One small can of red bell peppers roasted
One small can of olives ( green manzanilla or pearl black)
If desired you may add cooked shrimp

For the mayonnaise
One pasteurized egg
two cups of olive oil
one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice
one tsp of salt

METHOD
You will boil the potatoes in large portions with the carrots and peas.  Do not allow these to get too tender and fall apart. Cool in cold water.
In a large bowl mix together the cut up potatoes, carrots, chopped onion, boiled eggs, tuna, artichoke hearts, asparagus , olives and peas.  Add to this a little olive oil for moisture.  Then add the home-made mayonnaise and  decorate with the peppers, extra egg, olives and shape to make it attractive.
Let cool in the fridge and serve with  fresh French baguette.