Europe – Page 3 – Notes From a Messy Kitchen

Knowing I wanted to make a cake for my brother’s May 1st birthday, I decided to do a little bit of research into the origin of May Day. It turns out, May Day originated in the Celtic festival of Beltane, a celebration of fertility and renewal historically recognized across Scotland, Britain, and...

Johanna

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Czech Republic: Vepřo-knedlo-zelo

Cooking Time: 4 hours

Europe

Czech Republic

When we decided to do a pairing dinner for my beer club, I knew I was going to go international. However, it was my partner Alex’s desire to make a crisp, spicy pilsner that led me to the Czech Republic. Czech cuisine is a very hearty fare; think meat and potatoes....

Johanna

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Lithuania: Balandeliai

Europe

Lithuania

When I found out my Hungry Harvest box was going to include a head of cabbage, I immediately started searching international recipes for cabbage rolls. It turns out I didn’t have to look far. Nearly every country in Eastern Europe has its own take on the cabbage roll, with slight...

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Poland: Bialy Barszcz

Europe

Poland

I’m taking a quick break from sharing my supper club recipes to bring you the dish I just had to make for Easter Sunday! Bialy Barszcz is a Polish white borscht made with potato, leeks and sour cream and garnished with egg, kielbasa and dill. This is a very traditional...

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Slovenia: Prekmurska Gibanica {Bakeolution}

Cooking Time: 2.5 hours + 4 hours to chill

Slovenia

Funny story. Friday afternoon, my friend Sarah chatted me to remind me to bake for Bakeolution. I would bake, I told her, but I was going to make something easy. I’d hoped to make a Swedish princess cake, but no way would I have the time or energy for layers...

Johanna

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Ireland: Irish Soda Bread

Cooking Time: 1 hr 20 minutes

Ireland

Having recently returned from Ireland, you can imagine I had plenty of ideas as to what I could make. But you might also be surprised by what I chose! My favorite meal in Ireland was an amazing Full Irish Breakfast at a pub called the Hairy Lemon. I considered making this...

Johanna

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Andorra: Escudella

Cooking Time: 90 minutes

Andorra

We have had a whirlwind of a week. Saturday I ran a 1/2 marathon in the freezing cold, celebrated Cooking Matters graduation with the fabulous group of folks I’ve been so lucky as to spend my last six Saturdays cooking with, went to Bastian’s christening party, met my fellow runners for...

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Moldova: Vertuta

Cooking Time: 70 minutes + time for dough to chill

Moldova

There are many versions of this dish, both sweet and savory. This one is filled with feta, or more traditionally a salted syr. To make this pastry, you work the dough by rolling and spinning it until it’s very thin; I found it challenging to get it as thin as intended....

Johanna

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The Netherlands: Pannenkoeken Met Appelstroop

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

The Netherlands

Going Dutch today with Pannenkoeken met appelstroop! A favorite among kiddos in the Netherlands, pannenkoeken are commonly served at birthday parties and other special events. While pancakes in America are largely a breakfast staple, the Dutch often eat them for dinner. Many pannenkoekenhuisjes (pancake houses!) serve only these traditional pancakes, which...

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Azerbaijan: Lamb Plov

Cooking Time: 90 minutes

Azerbaijan

According to my cookbook, this fruit and lamb plov is a happy occasion dish, often served at Azerbaikani weddings. It’s definitely a luxury dish, with tender boneless lamb and rice flavored with saffron. The photo in my book immediately caught my eye, and it only seemed appropriate to serve a...

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