Em-pan-ahh-DAHS! (Week 46 - Brazil)

OUR EXPERIENCE

Wow, not what I expected. The Feijoada, even though it was meatless was wonderful, the others didn’t quite agree, but they wanted seconds so it could not have been that bad! The fish dish was beautiful. My lot don’t eat prawns, so I did it with cubed fish instead, and I don’t think it would alter the dish too much this way (I eat prawns) The cake was a hit with all, as well. In particular when warm with some light cream! My son loved taking it to school in his packed lunch and telling everyone his cake was from Brazil! I didn’t make the empanada pastry correctly, but I made the filling and it tasted really good. Leftovers were soon requested for next day’s dinner. I did a side salad with it and that worked a treat. I have included the filling recipe I used. As well as a recipe for a real Brazilian style empanada! I have done the chicken with okra before, so didn’t do that on this occasion as we were not really sure about the okra. I nearly did the breakfast, but by just using toasted breadcrumbs instead but we had an early start at the weekend as my son was in a Gym competition and I didn’t fancy getting up even early!

Cooked with score (out of 100):

 (V) Feijoada…………………………………………………………….85

Bahia-style Moqueca prawn stew……………………………86

Casa de mura (apple cake)……………………………………….86

(V)Empanadas filled with Picadillo……………………………….85

Wanted to cook:

Toasted Cassava flour with egg and bacon

Chicken with okra

Green

 

Feijoada (Vegetarian)

Although this should be full of meat, I found a recipe that was suitable for vegetarians, and with a few simple alterations, vegans too. NB: I used a tin of beans, so I didn’t need to cook them first, however I did add all the water from the can into the dish.

Ingredients

Servings 6

5 1/2 cups dried black beans, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 medium red bell peppers or 2 medium green bell peppers, diced

1 large tomatoes, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 canned chipotle pepper, chopped

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (or butternut squash or white potato)

2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves (or fresh)

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups cooked rice (white or brown)

 

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, place the beans in plenty of water and cook for about 1 hour, over medium heat, until tender. Drain and reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion, bell peppers, tomato, garlic, and chipotle peppers and saute for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the beans, cooking liquid, sweet potatoes, and thyme and cook for 25 to 30 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in the parsley and salt and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more.
4. Spoon the rice into bowls and ladle the feijoada over the top.
   http://www.food.com/recipe/brazilian-feijoada-vegetarian-455068
    
    

Bahia-style Moqueca prawn stew

A Brazilian-inspired seafood casserole with creamy coconut sauce, coriander garnish and plenty of sunshine spice. 

450g large, raw, peeled prawns (I used mixed fish cut in cubes)

75ml lime juice

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tbsp coconut oil

4 spring onions, chopped

1 onion, sliced into half moons

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp paprika

3 plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

400ml coconut milk

2 tbsp chopped coriander

steamed rice, to serve

 

1. Place the prawns (fish) in a bowl with 2 tbsp of the lime juice, 1 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of the chopped garlic. Chill for 1 hr.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan. Add the spring onion and onion and fry for 5 mins, then add the red pepper, chilli flakes, paprika and remaining garlic.
3. Pour in the tomatoes, coconut milk and a little salt. Bring to a simmer and let reduce for 10 mins. Add the prawns, all the marinade and remaining lime juice. Gently simmer until the prawns turn white, about 3 mins. Serve with the fresh coriander and rice.
   http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes
    

Picadillo

NB: I used this as my Empanadas filling.

By Jenna Holst from Cooking with Spices For Dummies

Picadillo (pee-kah-DEE-yoh) is popular in many Latin American and Caribbean countries. You can serve picadillo with rice or use it as a filling for tortillas or tacos. This recipe calls for beef, but picadillo can be made with any ground meat, such as pork, turkey, and chicken. This recipe freezes well.

4 to 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced, or 3/4 to 1 teaspoon ground jalapeno chilli pepper powder

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1-1/4 cups chopped canned tomatoes with juices

1 tablespoon white wine or cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped pitted black or pitted green olives

1/3 cup raisins

Salt to taste, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon

 

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. If you’re using ground jalapeno chile pepper powder, add it in Step 3 along with the other spices.
3. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent lumps, until the beef is browned thoroughly, about 7 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, oregano, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, black pepper, olives, and raisins. Stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
5. Cover partially and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. If the picadillo becomes too dry, add a little water. Taste for salt and add if necessary.
    

Empadinhas

Brazilians have their own version of the empanada called empadas or empadinhas (little empadas). Empadinhas are more likely to have a round shape, like mini pies, and exotic fillings such as shrimp or salted codfish. These empadinhas are filled with hearts of palm (a very common ingredient in Brazilian cooking), sautéed onions, and black olives.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup buttermilk

For the Filling:

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 pieces bacon, chopped fine (optional)

1 large onion, chopped fine

1 tablespoon sugar

1 can hearts of palm, drained and chopped

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup whole milk

12 black olives, roughly chopped

1/2 cup small cubes of farmer's cheese or feta (optional)

Preparation

1. Melt the butter with the shortening, and let cool.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Stir in the cooled butter and shortening with a fork.
3. Stir in the egg yolks, and mix well. Add the buttermilk gradually until mixture starts to come together. Knead briefly until dough is smooth.
4. Wrap dough in saran wrap and let rest on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Melt butter and oil in a skillet on medium heat. Sauté optional bacon pieces until crispy then remove to paper towels. Add the onions and sugar to the skillet and sauté until golden and translucent.
6. Add the hearts of palm and sauté a few minutes more.
7. Stir in the flour, then add the milk and lower heat slightly. Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens.
8. Remove from heat and stir in the olives. Stir in the farmer's cheese and bacon bits, if using. Set aside to cool.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degress. Divide dough into 12 pieces. Roll out 10 of the pieces into circles large enough to line the bottom and sides of a standard muffin tin. It may help to roll the dough, then let it rest for a few minutes, then roll it out the rest of the way. The rest lets the elasticity in the dough relax, and helps it to maintain its shape.
10. Line 10 muffin tins with dough circles, pressing them into the bottom and sides of the pan.
11. Divide the filling between the 10 lined muffin tins.
12. Roll out the remaining two portions of dough and cut circles to match the diameter of the muffin tins. Place the circles on top of the filling, and pinch around the edges to seal them with the dough lining the tin. Seal them well so that the filling doesn't leak out during baking.
13. Bake pastries for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
    Makes 10 empandinhas.
    Source By Marian Blazes
     

Casa de mura (apple cake)

Ingredients

For the Batter

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3/4cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

salt

1 tablespoon shortening, melted

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 medium tart baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

For the Topping

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

½ tablespoon heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (about 177° C). Grease bottom and side of a 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. First, make the streusel topping. Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl; cut in butter with a fork until obtaining fine crumbs. Add heavy cream and vanilla, mixing well with a fork until crumbs form (the cream will add moisture to the streusel). Set aside at room temperature so that the vanilla will infuse the streusel with flavor.
3. In a medium bowl, combine together the sifted flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in and then mix both the melted shortening and butter with a fork until obtaining fine crumbs.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, cream, and vanilla. Add to crumb mixture, tossing gently with a fork or by hand until mixture forms a ball. Press dough in an even layer into the prepared baking pan. Arrange apple slices on top of crust and then sprinkle the reserved streusel evenly over apple slices.
5. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack and slice into squares. Serve apple crumb cake plain (the traditional manner) or warm and drizzled with either caramel sauce or dulce de leche sauce and accompanied by a scoop of ice cream.
   http://thelatinkitchen.com
    
    
   Breakfast variation:

Toasted Cassava flour with egg and bacon

Source: (FCCCS)

Farofa is flavoured toasted cassava flour, and resembles dried breadcrumbs. It is sometimes called cassava meal or will be labelled as farinha de mandioca.

Serves 6

15g / ½ oz butter

90g / 3 ½ oz streaky (fatty) bacon in one piece

2 eggs, lightly beaten

15ml / 1 tbsp water

225g / 8 oz / 2 cups toasted cassava flour

15ml / 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

 

1. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Dice the bacon and add to the pan. Saute for 5 minutes, until golden.
2. Mix the eggs with the water in cup. Tip the mixture into the pan and stir until it starts to set. The eggs should have the consistency of soft scrambled eggs, do not overcook/
3. Add the cassava flour and stir vigorously over the heat for 1 minutes, until thoroughly combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and transfer to a bowl to serve.
    

Chicken with Okra

Source: (FCCCS)

Serves 4

15ml / 1 tbsp olive oil

4 chicken thighs

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely crushed

2 fresh chillies, seeded and finely chopped

120ml / 4 fl oz cup water

350g / 12oz okra

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

Salt

Boiled rive or polenta, to serve

Hot chilli oil (optional)

Tip: As okra cooks, the pods release a sticky juice, which coats and flavours the chicken. If you don’t like this sticky texture, however, cook the pods whole, simply trimming off the tops but not cutting into the pods themselves.

1. Heat the oil in a wide pan over a low heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt and add them to the pan, skin side down. Cook until golden brown, turn them over and add the chopped onions.
2. Saute for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened; then add the garlic and chopped chillies. Cook for a further 2 minutes, Add half the water to the pan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
3. Trim the okra and slice into think rounds. Add to the pan with the tomatoes, Season with salt and pour in the remaining water. Cover and simmer gently for about 10 – 15 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are tender and fully cooked. The chicken is ready when the flesh can be pulled off the bone easily.
4. Serve immediately with boiled white rice or polenta and offer some hot chilli oil on the side.
    

Greens

Source: (FCCCS)

These are very popular in Brazil, eaten with meat and are the traditional accompaniment to Feijoda.

Serves 6

450g / 1 lb spring (collard) greens (or curly kale, or savoy)

15ml / 1 tbsp vegetable oil

150g / 5oz smoked streaky (fatty) bacon, in one piece (or pancetta)

2 garlic gloves, crushed

1.5ml / ¼ tsp crushed dried chillies

Salt

 

1. Cut off the hard stalks from the spring greens. Lay the leaves flat on the top of each other and roll into a tight cigar-shape. Slice very thinly, using a sharp knife.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Cut the bacon into small cubes and sauté in the oil for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Lift the cubes out of the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
3. Increase the heat, add the crushed garlic and dried chillies to the oil remaining in the pan, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
4. Add the shredded spring green and toss over the heat until just tender. Season to taste with salt, stir in the cooked bacon and serve immediately.

 About the country.....

• Brazil is the world’s fifth largest country by population (approximately 201 million and geographical area (3,287,597 square miles). It borders every other South American nation, barring Ecuador and Chile, and makes up 47 per cent of the continent.
• The country’s motto is “Ordem e Progresso”, meaning "order and progress".
• São Vicente, near Sao Paulo, is the oldest city in Brazil and was Portugal’s first permanent settlement in the Americas.
• Brazil’s highest mountain is the Pico da Neblina (Mist Peak), on the border with Venezuela, at 2,994 metres (9,823 feet) above sea level. Due to it being almost permanently shrouded in cloud, it was not discovered until the 1950s, and was first ascended in 1965 (12 years after Everest).
• Brazil has been the world’s largest exporter of coffee for 150 years. It supplied around 80 per cent of the world’s coffee in the 1920s; that figure has fallen to around a third.
• The Amazon River is the world’s largest by volume of water discharged. Around 209,00 cubic metres per second flow into the Atlantic Ocean – more than the next seven largest rivers combined and enough to fill Lake Baikal – the world’s deepest lake – in less than four years. During the wet season the river is up to 30 miles wide.
• The statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro weighs 635 tonnes, is 38 metres high including its pedestal and was named one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” in 2007. It was damaged by a lightning strike earlier this year, and reports have suggested that repairs could make it darker, due to a shortage of replacement stone.
• Brazil has more than 4,000 airports – more than any other country other than the US.
• According to a 2007 report, there are at least 70 uncontacted tribes in the Brazilian Amazon.
• Some 1.5 million-2.5 million Brazilians are of Japanese descent. Many immigrants brought with them seedlings of cherry trees and cherry blossoms can be viewed outside homes in Sao Paulo, and in public parks in Curitiba.
• Brazil is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, with a total of four million plant and animal species, according to estimates. It has more species of monkey than any other nation.
  http://www.telegraph.co.uk
    
  CUISINE
   
  Brazilian food seems to have influences from Africa to Germany! In fact, it was thought that African slaves introduced the malagueta chilli to Brazil, but it transpired the chilli was returning to Brazil as it was taken to the northern hemisphere by the Spanish and then brought back in the baggage of the slaves of Africa. Hearty beans, dried salted meats, fish, plenty of rice all followed by exotic fruits.
   
  Jaguars are the third largest cat, after lions and tigers and they mainly live in the rain forests of Brazil. It’s the fifth largest country in the world and covers half of the south American continent. It also has the largest area of rain forest and produces the largest amount of coffee in the world as well as cocoa beans, used to make chocolate.
   
  The mixed meat and black bean stew is indisputably the national dish of Brazil and is traditionally served for Saturday lunch. It is said, it is impossible to make a good Feijoada for fewer than 10 people, since there are so many different types of meat involved. The meat can vary; however, the beans have to be small and black. The meat along comprises of: Pigs tongue, beef jerky, salted pork ribs, smoked streaky (fatty) bacon, smoked pork ribs, pork sausages and smoked chorizo. Other dishes mentioned: Tutu, lombo park filet, acarajes and moqueca
   
  Taken from the book: “The Illustrated Food and Cooking of the Caribbean, Central and South America” by Jenni Fleetwood and Marina Filippelli. As are the recipes marked (FCCCS)
   

Not far to go! (Week 45 - Austria)

Just across the boarder for our next food challenge and this provided us with the oddest name dish!

We did have the famous Weiner Schitzel, although I did read that there were important rules in its making, one of which was not to use brought breadcrumbs, but to make them yourself from French loaves which had been dried in the oven and then grated, I did make my own but out of older white bread. I also did a strange meal called Spaetzle; which I did with bacon and onion, but should traditional be done with cheese (which I don’t eat) I am not convinced I cooked it correctly as my batter didn’t fall through the sieve as they instructed. However, I did drop it in the water in tiny teaspoon amount and it cooked that way.

It looked revolting once all finished, we nicked named it ‘Cat sick’ but we thought it tasted great! There was some left over, and I labelled it ‘cat sick’ remembering not to give it to my Grandmother, as I am sure she would wonder why I had frozen it! My Mum makes a wicked strudel, using puff pastry, but my recipe called for filo pastry and the filling to have cherries rather than apples. As we had a glut of apples, I used apples and it went down a treat! I did make some other biscuits, which had a lovely lemon icing on, although my son didn’t like that bit! They didn’t last as long as I had hoped, which must be a good sign – would make them again, for sure. 

In the past I have made the Viennese Buns (Wiener Buchteln), which smell gorgeous when they come out of the oven and my little boys friend (who is a little fussy with his food) loved then, despite them being a little flat! We also had the infamous Linzertorte, which as my son pointed out, is jam tart. So I have included those recipes for interest. 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Spaetzle…………………………………………………86

Weiner Schitzel……………………………………..88

Zimtsterne (Cinnamon stars) ….…………..86

Other recipes:

Sauerkraut (Cabbage dish)

Wiener Buchteln (Viennese Buns)

Linzertorte ((posh) Jam Tart)

Zimtsterne (Cinnamon stars)

(I made mine slightly different, in that I added all the meringue mixture and then made some lemon icing for the top using 125g icing sugar, 1 ½ tbsp. lemon juice.)
2 large egg whites
1 tsp lemon juice, plus zest 1 lemon
200g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
250g ground almonds
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

1. Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and line a large baking tray (or 2 smaller) with baking parchment. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk until foamy. Add the lemon juice and whisk again until they hold soft peaks.
2. Slowly mix in the icing sugar and continue whisking until the mixture is stiff. Remove about a quarter of the meringue mixture and set aside to use for the topping. Put the almonds, cinnamon, ginger and lemon zest in the bowl with the meringue and mix to form a stiff, slightly sticky dough.
3. To form the stars, put the dough on a piece of baking parchment lightly dusted with icing sugar and dust the top of the dough with sugar, too. Place a second sheet of parchment on top of the dough and roll out to about 0.5cm thick (the dough is a little sticky, so the parchment makes it easier to roll). Peel off the top sheet of parchment and use a 5cm star-shaped cutter to cut out as many cookies as possible. Place them on your prepared baking tray.
4. Using the reserved meringue mixture, spread a small amount onto the top of each cookie, covering the entire top – you may need to add a few drops of water to make the meringue a little easier to spread. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 12-15 mins until meringue is set but not browned. Allow to cool fully before storing in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
   By Edd Kimber

Spaetzle

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup milk

1/4lb smoked bacon, diced

1 yellow onion chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and milk. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth; let stand for 30 minutes. Press the batter through a sieve into boiling salted water. Cook about 1 minute. Drop cooked spaetzle into ice water. Drain spaetzle and set aside.
2. In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. In a separate skillet, saute the cooked spaetzle in the oil until golden. Add the bacon mixture, season as needed with salt and pepper, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
   Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/bacon-onion-spaetzle-352913
   
   

Wiener Schnitzel

Wiener Schnitzel which is German for "Viennese cutlet” is traditionally is served with lemon slices and green salad or potato salad or cucumber salad and sometimes french fries.
Source: http://germanfood.about.com/od/meatbasedrecipesandmenu/r/wienerschnitzel.htm


4 (5-ounce) veal cutlets (or chicken or pork cutlets) pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or brown-rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large well-beaten eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Oil or lard for frying (lard is traditional)

(I lightly fried mine, and then cooked in the oven – as I cannot tolerate deep frying)

Preparation

1. To pound meat thinly, you may want to place the cutlet between sheets of plastic wrap for easier washing up. Use a heavy, flat-surfaced pan to pound if you don’t have a meat mallet.
   Pound the meat evenly to 1/4-inch thickness for best results.
   To bread the schnitzels, set up 3 shallow dishes. Place the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in one, the well-beaten in the second dish and the bread crumbs in the third dish.
2. In a large skillet, heat at least 1/4 inch of oil to 350°F.
3. Working one at a time, dredge cutlets first in flour until the surface is completely dry. Dip in egg to coat, allow the excess to drip off for a few seconds, and then roll quickly in the bread crumbs until coated. Do not press the bread crumbs into the meat. The crust should not adhere completely, but form a loose shell around the schnitzel. Immediately place meat in the pan with the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Cook the schnitzel in batches, if necessary.
4. Fry the schnitzel for 3-4 minutes on one side. Make sure the breaded meat “swims” in fat. Contrary to instinct, the breading will take on less oil than if the meat is sticking to the pan. Also, the bread crumb topping has a chance to puff up a little, and your clean-up is easier! You may want to swish them around a little with your fork to make sure they are not sticking to the pan. Turn them over once and fry until both sides are golden brown. Remove from pan, allow the oil to drain off.
   
   

Quick Sauerkraut

Food.com
Serves 8 Ingredients:
15 ml olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thin
2  package of shredded green cabbage or 1 medium green cabbage, shredded
300 ml cider vinegar
120 ml apple cider
120 ml water, to taste (use less water if you like it more tangy)
15 ml kosher salt
5 ml caraway seed (optional)
 

Method:

1. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat and cook onion, stirring constantly, until it begins to soften and turn translucent.
2. Add cabbage, cider, vinegar, water, salt and caraway seeds and bring to a boil.
3. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. Add a little water if it gets too dry.
4. This can be kept in the fridge for 2 weeks.
   
   

Homemade Sauerkraut

I have included a more traditional recipe for sauerkraut, as it you need to allow time for the correct fermenting process to occur. Which is why when recipes refer to the inclusion of sauerkraut, it is often suggested you buy it in a jar.  nourishedkitchen.com Yield: 1 gallon

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

This is a simple recipe to make traditional, lacto-fermented, homemade sauerkraut using only cabbage, salt and time.
Ingredients
2 medium cabbage heads (about 4 to 5 total pounds, cored and finely shredded)
2 tablespoons sea salt

Instructions

1. Toss cabbage and salt together in a large mixing bowl and begin to squeeze the cabbage and salt together with your hands, kneading it thoroughly to break up the cellular structure of the shredded cabbage.
2. When the cabbage has become limp and releases its juice, transfer it to a sauerkraut crock or vegetable fermenter. Pack the salted cabbage into the crock or fermenter as tightly as you can, eliminating air bubbles. A kraut pounder is particularly helpful in packing the cabbage tight within the crock.
3. Continue packing the cabbage into the container until the cabbage is completely submerged by liquid. Cover loosely and allow it to sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for at least 1 month and up to 6 months, testing the sauerkraut every few days until it is done to your liking. Transfer to the refrigerator or other cold storage where it should keep for at least 6 months and up to 1 year.
   Notes
   If scum appears floating in the brine of your homemade sauerkraut, simply spoon it off. You won’t be able to remove it all, but spoon of what you can and don’t worry about. The real key to preparing homemade sauerkraut, and any fermented food, is that the solid materials rest below the liquid. Fermentation is an anaerobic process and to expose your ferments to air increases the likelihood that they’ll become contaminated by stray microbes, yeasts and molds which is why crocks designed specifically for fermentation (like this one) can help to eliminate the risk of microbial contamination and increase the reliability and consistency of your ferments.
    
   The finished product can be eaten cold, but is more often warmed up. A traditional serving suggestion is to heat sauerkraut with pieces of bacon and a liberal dollop of goose fat.
    
   

Wiener Buchteln - Viennese Buns

These are served at tea-time of as a sweet dish after a main meal.
Ingredients
12oz plain flour
7g dried yeast
4oz butter or marg
A pinch of grated lemon rind
2 egg yolks
½ pint milk (approx)
3 oz castor sugar
Jam
Cinnamon (optional)              

Method:

1. Mix in the flour and yeast. Rub in the butter, as you would short-crust pastry.  Add eggs, lemon rind and sugar.
2. Add the slightly warmed milk, slowly to make a fairly soft dough.
3. Beat with a wooden spoon until it no longer sticks, is quite smooth and shows little bubbles.
4. Cover it up and keep in a warm place, until it has risen to twice its size.
5. Sprinkle a warmed pastry board with flour and place the dough on it in tablespoonfuls.
6. Make a small well in the centre of each of the little ball sof dough and fill with ½ tsp jam (mixed with cinnamon, if using). Fold the dough over the jam and close tightly. Put into a well greased oven-glass dish and grease each bun on the sides or they will stick together.
7. Leave in a warm place until risen to double size, then bake in a cool oven for at least 40mins, or until golden brown.
8. While still hot, sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
   NB Vanilla Sugar is made by placing a vanilla pod, cut into two or three pieces, in a screw-top jar full of icing sugar. After about 10 days, the sugar is delicately flavoured.
   
   

Linzertorte - Jam Tart

Ingredients
6oz Sugar
6oz breadcrumbs
1 egg (whole)
½ tsp mixed spice
6oz marg
6oz ground almonds
1 egg-white
Grated lemon rind
Strawberry jam

Method:

1. Make dough using all the ingredients, except the egg white and jam. Put ¾ of it into a baking tin, with a loose bottom. Moisten the 1 in thick dough with the egg-white.
2. Make the rest of the dough into long strips and with these make a rim around the bottom layer of the dough and a lattice-work pattern on top. Paint with the egg-white.
3. Bake in a cool oven until well browned, and then fill the spaces with strawberry jam. 

About the country....

Austria is one of Europe’s most heavily wooded countries, ibex and Chamois (antelope) can be found there. But it is its arts for which it is famed for, the Vienna Boys Choir, the Lipizzaner Horses and their composers such as Haydyn and the Strauss family. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the greatest composers of all times. He created his own distinctive style with blending traditional and contemporary together and was born in Salzburg and was already considered a genius as a child. He made his first attempts at composition at the tender age of six.

Austria has a strong economy with machinery, metallurgical products and textiles being of particular importance. Austria's industrial sector is, however, one of the world’s largest, it is also where graphite is mined, which is used for lead in pencils; however the country’s most important industry is tourism. Salzburg, despite being the birth place of the greatest (probably) composer in the world, it is more famous for its association with the von Trappe family, and “The Sound of Music”. Austrians living outside of the city are not as aware of the phenomenon as people from Salzburg.

 

CUISINE

 Old Austria was a country of many nationalities, they met and mixed in its splendid capital, Vienna and so did their respective cuisines. There is a deep-seated belief in eating well, and their food displays a sublime regard for slimming rules. It is a mixture of Austrian, Czech, Hungarian, with a splash of Polish and Italian thrown in.

Dough made with yeast is used in many different ways and is typically Austrian. Such as Viennese Guglhupf. Apfelstrudel is a national treasure, along with Linzer Torte. Linzertort is often said to be the oldest cake in the world and dates back to at least 1653, but no one knows who invented it. There are lots of variations and the oldest known recipe is in a cookbook that was written 350 years ago. Named after the Austrian city of Linz, which is justly proud of this delicious creation, the linzer torte has a crumbly pastry base, a jam filling and a lattice top.

 
Interestingly I found more information on the country’s drinking culture than I did food. From coffee to schnapps. Austrian Kaffeehäuser (traditional coffee houses), especially coffee houses in Vienna, are relics from a bygone era, when artists, politicians, bohemians and army officers convened there to read, philosophise, play chess and engage in intellectual duels while sipping carefully brewed cups of coffee.

Every Kaffeehaus is different, but certain rules and regulations are honoured everywhere. For example, if you order a single drink you can stay at the Kaffeehaus as long as you wish, making it a viable second home. A useful rule of thumb: the more newspapers, games and regulars, the better the Kaffeehaus.