Saturday, January 8, 2022

A Culinary Winter Vacation

 even though it's a tough time to travel you can stil travel around the globe. Cooking and baking make it easy to have a tast eof the alps or the caribbean. It's a fun trip all within the confines of your kitchen.

Many regret not heading to the slopes this season. You can definitely bring a taste of the Alps to your dining room this January. Piedmonte in Northwestern Italy is known not just for its' challenging and fun slopes but also for it's robust foods, perfect at any chalet.One of the best dishes is bagna calda, literally a hot bath of anchoviies, olive oil, a little butter and garlic.It's usually made in a fondue pot and doners are encouraged to dip their forks in. savoy cabbage, native to this province is what's usually dipped in but you can also serve cubed and semi roasted London Broil or steak with it.Have loaves of crusty Italian bread with it to catch the savory drips of sauce. Another tasty winter dish that can be served is pescoi meaning "not fish" in dialect. This is polenta and butter cooked in savoy cabbage leaves and then pickled ina vinegar and savoia (a type of herb) brine. across the Alps in switzerland there is fondue. This a a perfect date night  supper, made with white wine,  a mix  of Gruyere and Emmenthaler cheeses , nutmeg and lemon juice. You could add a splash of kirsch for kick. Cubes of French bread or boiled potatoes are dipped in. Even heartier fare is German  which can be a good bratwurst grilled indoors and served on a dark rye with plenty of mustard or sauerbraten, a rump roast brined in vinegar, water, bay leaves and sugar and sprinkled with flour. The drippings are strained with gingerbread cookies to make a tangy , sweet sauce,

If you;re dying for heat and the Caribbean then think of jerk. The heat alone will get rid of that winter chill. Try the chicken one which is a Jamaican classic.It's a fiery sweet mix of two Scotch bonnet peppers, cayenne pepper, onions, scallions,nutmeg and allspice berries.A pinch of brown sugar is added to temper all this heat.Serve with another Jamaican recipe, the side dish of rice and peas.This is a  of the two made sweet with the addition of full fat coconut milk and fiery with more of the famed Scotch bonnet peppers.There is also thyme in it and to round it out scallions and onions.Puerto Rico may be known for warm , sunny beaches and turquoise waters but it's also known for its' variety of tasty dishes and drinks.Mofongo is a national dish and is as comforting as mashed potatoes.Everyone has their own recipe for it but the basic one is ripe plantains mashed with garlic.It can be served with meat or just veggies.Empanadas are also found 9n this lush island.8tss sorts of like a Cornish pasties stuffed with chicken,  beef or mixed veggies,Finish with a Coquitlam, akind of rummy nog, made with egg yolks ,rum and condensed and coconut milks.

Your kitchen can be your gateway to international travel.Try any of these dishes to fell like you're on a trip,It's a great trip to a fun destination