Ye olde absinth shop

Absinth, is a highly alcoholic, anise flavoured spirit derived from herbs that is normally diluted with sugar and water when consumed.

shot of absinth

No longer laced with hallucinogens (don’t know if it ever really was) and legal again in most countries, you can find absinthe almost anywhere. Available in green and red varieties and produced by countless distillers, it doesn’t have the forbidden feel to it anymore, but more like a nostalgic trip back to Bohemian Europe.

The many varieties of Absinth

As a result, merchants in search of luring tourists have come up with interesting ways of capitalizing on nostalgia through sweet treats. Cakes, custards, cocktails all infused with this mysterious green spirit being sold at exorbitant prices. I’m guilty. I was intrigued by one treat in particular…absinth ice cream. How could I possibly turn that down??

Absinth Ice Cream

While not a traditional specialty of Prague or the Czech Republic. It was surprisingly delicious. Herbal and floral, not to sweet and incredibly refreshing. So here is my take on this refreshing, touristy treat…

Absinth Ice Cream

250 ml milk

500 ml heavy cream

130 g sugar

pinch salt

5 egg yolks

4 – 5 tbsp absinth

1. Heat milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan

2. Set up an icebath by filling a bowl with ice and water. Fill another bowl with cream

3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and gradually pour some of the milk mixture in with the eggs and whisk constantly to temper.

4. Pour mixture back into the saucepan and cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon

5. Strain custard into the bowl with the cream and set over the icebath.

6. Stir in absinth and add in a touch of green food colour if you want something a deeper green

7. Pour into ice cream machine and spin according to the manufacturers instructions.

Consume responsibly! Enjoy!

Absinth Ice Cream

Gothic architecture of Prague

Prague’s gothic history and architecture that simply intrigues me. Not to mention a city where no day is complete without beer is my kind of place.

I usually have one main rule when eating on the road and that is “Never eat in the main square”. I broke that rule in Prague. While costing me a small fortune, sitting in the square and finely examining the amazing architecture around me makes it easy to just sit back, eat, drink and relax. While examining the menus of each cafe in the square, I notice one constant on each…Medovnik. Naturally, having never heard of it, it’s what I want to order.

Medovnik I discovered is a delicious type of honey layer cake. Sliced and iced in many very thin layers. It is a cake that is not moist, but not dry and not too sweet. A perfect balance. Unlike in Poland, I didn’t have anyone I knew to ask for help on how I could get a recipe. So, I simply asked my waitress how it was made. Not as friendly to respond as others I have asked before, she did give me a great idea how to find it…I went to a bookstore to look it up.

Luckily for me Medovnik is in almost every cookbook on Czech cuisine that I found. And even more lucky, the Czech language is vaguely similar to Polish and I could decipher most of the ingredients. As for the process, I’d have to ask someone in my hostel to translate.

So after a few tests and tinkers, here is my version of Medovnik. Hope you like it…

Medovnik

Ingredients

Filling

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp honey

57 g butter

113 g sour cream

Dough

2 eggs

150 g sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp honey

113 g butter, melted

256 g all purpose flour

Coating

150 g biscuit crumbs

120 g ground walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350C

2. For dough, beat eggs and sugar. Add baking soda and honey. Add melted butter once incorporated

3. Over a low heat, warm mixture on oven burner. Add flour while heating and mix to incorporate. Mixture will be very thick and hard to stir

4. Remove from heat and cool.

5. Sprinkle dough with flour and roll out to 1-2mm thin. Cut out as many circles (about 18″ in diameter) as possible

6. Bake for just 2-4 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with all circles and let cool before assembling

7. To make filling, in a saucepan over medium heat combine all ingredients. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil and thickens

8. Remove from heat and cool.

Medovnik

Each layer is in perfect balance

St. Mary's Church, Krakow

a charm that only history can provide. Some of Krakow’s best sights are those that cannot be seen, but rather need to be found. Hundreds of restaurants, bars, and music halls are tucked away in cellars and alleyways. Even my mother once said there’s no way she would be able to tell me which restaurants or cafe’s to visit in Poland because it’s almost impossible to look for. You just have to find it. My favourite restaurants and cafe’s can be found in these caverns. While likely not the ones my mom used to go to, i love them because I found them. So go on, explore and find your own.

While these restaurants all have their own personality, most serve similar hearty fare. I guess that comes with Krakow’s history and sense of tradition. There is an abundance of meat and potatoes, cabbage rolls, Bigos and of course beer. However, few meals in Krakow are complete without coffee and a light sweet. Not a huge surprise considering the heartiness of the meals. Desserts here are light, fruity and small.

A traditional end to a meal consists of coffee and a small piece of poppy seed cake. A perfect compliment. No matter where you go it is always on the menu and a staple of holiday and casual get togethers among family and friends. Every bakery and restaurant worth its weight has Makowiec ready to go. I came home and asked my mom how to make it. She replied saying it’s not something you usually make, it’s something that you buy. I took it upon myself to recreate this cake on my own to relive my memories of Krakow and prove to my mother that it can be just as fun to make as it is to eat. Check out my recipe below!

Where to eat in Krakow: U Babci Maliny  http://www.cracow-life.com/eat/restaurants_details/106-U_Babci_Maliny

Traditional cellar restaurant

Makowiec

Ingredients

Dough

454 g bread flour

200 g sugar

180 g butter

240 ml milk

1 oz yeast

grated lemon zest

salt

butter to coat pan

1 egg for brushing

Filling

454 g poppy seeds

200 g sugar

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp butter

2 egg whites

150 g chopped walnuts

Glaze

200 g powdered sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1-2 tbsp boiling water

1. Rinse poppy seeds, scald with hot water and let sit overnight

2. In the morning prepare the dough by combining the yeast and the milk and mixing it in with the dry ingredients. Knead until a little firm and let rise

3. Drain the poppy seeds in a sieve and grind at least three times to get a fine grain

4. in a pot melt butter, add sugar, poppy seeds, honey, nuts and fry a few minutes on low heat. Mix continuously.

5. Whisk egg whites to a froth and add to poppy seeds when slightly cooled. Divide dough and poppy seeds into 3

6. Roll out each part of the dough, lightly sprinkle with flour. Evenly spread poppy seeds on the dough. Roll up and place in long buttered loaf pan. Edges of the dough should be tucked under

7. Let the rolls rise in a warm place covered with a towel. Brush with egg mixed with 1 tsp milk

8. Bake at 350C for around 40 minutes. Check if ready with a toothpick which should come out dry. When slightly cooled take out of pans and apply glaze

Traditional Makowiec

A Traditional Pierogarnia

Wandering the streets of Warsaw, it doesn’t take long to see that one treat (both sweet and savoury) reigns supreme…pierogi. Being of Polish heritage, i knew full well that Pierogies were a staple in Polish households.  there are Pierogi (or Pierogarnia’s) everywhere you go. Luckily I didn’t have to go far in search of the perfect pierogi. My Polish family makes the best in the city (yes, I am biased here and unashamedly so). While pierogies are most commonly made using savoury ingredients – saurkraut, mushroom, potato and cheese. My childhood favourites were always of the sweet variety – cherry, strawberry, raspberry and blueberry. While sweet pierogi usually take a backseat to the savoury ones in popularity, one bite and you’ll wonder why you didn’t try these sooner. Though if you’re ever in Warsaw there is one Pierogarnia that keeps me coming back everytime…it’s Pierogi na Bednarskiej. The best outside my own kitchen (ok so I am a bit biased but it’s pretty close)

http://www.pierogarnianabednarskiej.pl/

My Favourite Blueberry Pierogi

Dough

2 – 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 egg

salt

1 cup lukewarm water

Filling

1 lb blueberries

2 -4 tbsp sugar to sprinkle

Topping

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tbsp sugar

1. Sift flour onto work surface. Break 1 egg on it, add salt and approximately 1 cup lukewarm water. Knead the dough well but not very firm. Divide into parts. Roll out one part thin and cover the rest to prevent drying. Cut 2 inch circles from the rolled out dough using a glass or cookie cutter.

2. Dry rinsed fruit in a strainer. Place blueberries on the dough circles.

3. Place pierogi on a tray sprinkled with flour and cover with cloth. Boil water in pot, add salt, and drop in the dumplings a few at a time. Cover, and when they rise to the top, uncover and keep on a low flame a little longer. But don’t cook too long or they will fall apart. Take out of pot using a slotted spoon.

4. To serve sprinkle with sugar and a dollop of sweetened sour cream

Enjoy!

My favourite childhood treat

Blueberry Pierogi with Sweetened Sour Cream

Stacks of Berliners

maybe he did if he sampled a true Berliner! I had many misconceptions about travelling through Europe. One being that Europeans wouldn’t be caught dead eating from “western” establishments. I believed places like McDonald’s and Starbucks were there only for the tourists. But to my surprise, the biggest thing in Berlin at least is Dunkin’ Donuts! Dunkin Donuts you ask?? Yes! Dunkin’ Donuts! The chain is everywhere and is patroned not only by tourists. Residents of Berlin LOVE their donuts, however it is the Berliner donut that still reigns King here (and they cannot be found at Dunkin’ Donuts…yet)

I asked a man on a train who was carrying a dozen Dunkin’ Donuts what the fascination is with this American chain. I was promptly corrected that the donut is not American but is from Berlin. The Berliner however, is so popular, that by the time bakeries make them, they’re sold out and often hard to find because people like the convenience of picking up the “other” donuts just about everywhere. But the best donut in the world is still the Berliner. My new friend gave me the address of his favourite bakery that he swears makes the best Berliners.

I set off the next morning (again bright and early) to get my hands on these specialties. I looked at the menu and my heart sank…no Berliners on the menu. I asked the bakers if they had any left and Berliners are only called Berliners outside of Berlin. In Berlin they are called Pfannkuchen. I could see why they are so loved. These donuts were dense but airy balls of fried dough filled with the sweetest, most delectable berry jam I have ever had. I loved it so much I came back every day for a week. By the end of the week the bakers knew me as Michelle from Canada.

Since they’ve remembered my name, I felt comfortable enough to ask them if they would show me how to make a Berliner. They were beyond excited and more than happy to show me into their kitchen. I was so surprised at how easy these delicacies are to make. I have always been afraid of making anything with yeast so donuts have never been a part of my repertoire. I just thought yeast made things difficult and time-consuming to make. These Berliners however, dispel that myth entirely.

Ingredients

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 packet of quick rise dry yeast

3 tablespoons sugar

3 egg yolks (lightly beaten)

1 pound flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil for frying

1 cup raspberry jam (preferrably home made, strained for seeds)

2 cups of granulated sugar for dusting

Directions

In a small saucepan, heat milk just until it starts to form small bubbles (do not bring to a boil).

Remove the pot from heat and slowly whisk in butter and allow to cool.

Transfer the milk to a stand mixer and sprinkle yeast over the milk.

Add sugar and let it dissolve. Let mixture rest until bubbles start to appear from the yeast reaction.

Using the dough hook, mix on low speed and add egg yolks one at a time and then slowly add in the flour.

When dough starts to stick, slowly increase mixer speed. Once dough is smooth, remove from the mixer onto a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together to form a tight ball. Put ball in a greased bowl making sure to coat the entire ball. Cover and let the dough rise to double it’s size (or several hours)

Roll the dough out of a floured surface and cut using a round cookie or biscuit cutter. Place rounds on a greased baking sheet and let rise again.

Heat at least 5 inches of fat or vegetable oil to 190 C in a deep cast iron pot (preferrably) or a deep fryer. Fry donuts in the oil util golden. Do not crowd pot. Make sure oil remains at 190 C.

Once fried let the donuts rest on a paper towel to drain excess oil

Using a syringe or a pastry bag with a fine tip, fill with jam and pipe inside the donut.

Dust donuts with granulated sugar while still warm

Perfectly sugared Berliners

Inside the Pancake Bakery kitchen

No time for much chit chat though. The breakfast rush is soon approaching with a vengeance. We get right into making the batter. The proportions I was given by the chef are for hundreds of patrons. The recipe I am posting is modified to suit much smaller portions (and yes I did go back to my hostel and give them a go…they are delicious!)

Dutch Pancakes

1 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 eggs

2 tbsp light ale (optional)

3 tsp sugar

pinch of salt

1tsp vanilla extract

butter to brush pan

Directions

1. Mix flour and milk until it is a smooth consistency. Add eggs, sugar, salt and ale. Mix well and let stand for at least 3o minutes to one hour

2. Heat a large crêpe pan to medium high heat and brush on a little butter to prevent pancake from sticking. Pour enough batter in the pan to make a thin, but not too thin layer. It should be thicker than a crêpe but thinner than an American pancake. Cook 1 minute or until the bottom is a rich golden brown. Flip pancake and cook 20 seconds more

3. Serve with your choice of filling or topping.

Some of the more popular topping at the Pancake Bakery include sautéed apples and cinnamon, banana and nutella and my personal favourites bacon and banana or bacon and apple…I see a pattern.

To make either the apple bacon or apple banana filling simply render bacon in the pan and remove. Sauté either apples or bananas in the same pan with the bacon fat. Once soft, but not mushy, crumble the bacon on to the filling and serve on the crêpe. Absolutely wonderful balance between sweet and salty. Note: the fillings should not look like pie filling, but rather simple sautéed fruit. Simple is definitely better

Apple cinnamon Dutch pancake

Happy Dutch pancake making everyone!!! See you next time in Berlin where I’m on the hunt for some Berliner doughnuts!

One of the many canals in Amsterdam

Getting lost in the streets of Amsterdam isn’t really about getting lost. It’s about remembering certain landmarks and realizing you’ve seen it 5 times already. Streets here run in a kind of circular pattern, so just as soon as you think you’re going the right way (and in a straight line) there is that boat with the purple tulips again. Not one put my wanderings to waste. I did get a lovely tour of the beautiful canals the city has to offer. Must be fun to skate on in the winter.

One of my daily rituals on my travels so far has been to ask cafe servers where I can find a place with good desserts. Not surprisingly, everyone has a favorite. This morning I wandered around the city looking for a place to have my morning cup of coffee. A difficult job in Amsterdam considering “coffeeshops” here don’t actually sell coffee. Coffeeshops here are places where the Dutch buy their fix of all varieties of Marijuana. It seems every other café window displays their herbacious wares, indicating a good cup of coffee is best found elsewhere. Once I found a place to satisfy my morning caffeine addiction. I asked my server what people in Amsterdam like to eat for dessert or to satiate their sweet cravings, she quickly replied “Pannekoeken”. Apparently these crepe-like pancakes are a staple in the Dutch diet, both for sweet and savory appetites…especially after a visit to a coffeehouse.

She informed me that the best Pancake bakery in the city was aptly named “The Pancake Bakery”. The Dutch do love their pancakes. They’re larger and thinner than typical American pancakes and are usually made with beer to give the pancakes some lift. Though she did warn me the bakery was a bit hard to find, but well worth looking for. Great! A place even the locals say is hard to find.  While the server didn’t have a contact for me, I figured I could go to the Bakery and perhaps find someone willing to show how to make dutch pancakes.

Outside the Pancake Bakery

I found my way down to the Pancake Bakery and it wasn’t hard to find at all. Perhaps I’m finally finding my bearings. Or perhaps it was the smell of Pancakes that led me to its big red doors. Located near the Anne Frank House and Museum, the line outside is a healthy mix of locals and tourists (which is surprising considering the location) but I guess good news, or word of tasty bites travel fast.

Once inside I am intrigued by a fantastic selection of sweet and savoury pancakes. I opt for the Indonesian pancake, but I’ve got my eye on the apple bacon pancake for a dessert later. The pancake was light and airy and has just the faintest taste of a light ale. The filling is equally delicate with a perfect balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet. A great Indonesian satay influenced by a vibrant Indonesian community in the area.

I am very curious about the apple bacon pancake though. Everything tastes better with bacon right? Why not in dessert? I also notice that the kitchen is open and visible for everybody to watch. I ask the server if there was any way she could ask the chef if I could see how he makes it. I tell her about the blog in the hopes it will increase my chances. After asking the chef, she promptly comes back and it looks like it worked. While it is too busy right now to be in the kitchen I was asked to come back tomorrow before the bakery opens and he would show me. I can’t wait!

Indonesian Pannekoken

Like Jack said, Brussels wafels are made with yeast and have a soft and airy texture. The batter is made the night before and left to rise and surprisingly don’t require that much work but do require a very hot cast iron wafel maker.

Brussels Wafels

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dry yeast

4 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups milk

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

4 eggs

Vegetable oil for brushing on wafel iron

Directions

1. The night before, mix dry ingredients lightly with whisk and add milk. Mix lightly then add the butter and vanilla. Mixture will be very loose. Cover and leave overnight at room temperature.

2. Oil wafel iron and preheat. Separate eggs and mix yolks into the batter. Beat egg whites to soft peaks and fold gently into the batter

3. Spread about 1/4 cup of batter onto the wafel iron and bake for about 3 minutes if your iron is really hot. Serve with powdered sugar and devour immediately

Makes 12 wafels

Brussels wafel cafe style

Liege Wafels on the other hand are much more dense, rich, sweet and chewy and are made from a type of brioche dough. The defining characteristic of the Liege wafel is the sweet and sticky exterior made by sprinkling pearl sugar on top of the batter which caramelizes in the wafel iron…utter deliciousness! This dough does require a significant amount of time to make – almost one day (mostly unattended dough rising time). So with a bit of planning you can easily make these at home as well.

Liege Wafels

Ingredients

3 teaspoons dry yeast

1/2 cup very warm milk (just about to boil but not quite. Look for small bubbles on sides of pot)

4 tablespoon of very warm water

4 cups bread flour (which explains Jacques Torres’ chewy chocolate chip cookies that are made with bread flour)

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2.5 teaspoons salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup pearl sugar (which can be found in ikea of all places)

Directions

1. Mix yeast, milk, and water in a mixing bowl

2. Add eggs and 1/4 of the flour and mix until blended

3. Add remaining flour to cover the mixture but do not mix. Cover and store at room temperature for at least 1.5 hours

4. Mix in brown sugar and salt

5. Mix in honey and vanilla and slowly stir in butter. Mix at low speed for 5 minutes and scrape bowl half way through. Let dough rest again for a minute and then mix again for 2. Dough should start forming into a ball

6. Lightly flour another mixing bowl and scrape the dough into it. Cover and let rise at room temperature for at least 5 hours.

7. Put dough in the fridge for 1 hour

8. Remove dough from fridge, and deflate by punching down the dough. Empty bowl onto plastic wrap and mould into rectangle and fold it over twice (like a folding a piece of paper into an envelope). Cover with the plastic wrap and put a brick on top to stop the dough from expanding. Refrigerate overnight

9. The next day, remove from fridge and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.

10. Place the cold dough in a large bowl and add all of the pearl sugar. Mix it into the dough by hand until sugar is well incorporated. Divide into individual portions

11. Warm up cast iron waffle maker and cook once iron reaches 370 degrees. Cook for 2 minutes. Enjoy

Makes 10

A stack of sticky, sweet, Liège wafels

Happy Wafelling! Let me know if you try them at home…would love to know how they worked for you. As for me, I’m off to my next destination in search of sweet treats…Pancakes in Amsterdam!

Like Chef Laiskonis, I prefer to seek out local fare. Luckily, I have no reservations about asking a complete stranger for recommendations, a dining companion or their grandmother’s prized recipes. More often than not, locals are more than willing to show you where they like to eat and share a story or two. Such was the case in Brussels and my search for the ultimate wafle. I met my new friend Jack (more likely Jacques but I think he Americanized it for me) while waiting for a bus. I had asked him where he buys his wafels and he took me to a fantastic little storefront with a wonderful array of wafels with delicious toppings.

So hard to choose...

“What makes Brussels wafels so special?”, I asked. Brussels wafels are leavened with yeast. They are always rectangular (as opposed to the Liege wafle) and are light and crispy. Locals eat the wafels plain, dusted only with powdered sugar. As Jack says “only tourists eat them with cream and fruit”. Though I have to say I was very tempted by the ‘unauthentic’ variety…i still am a tourist after all. I asked Jack if he would tell me how he makes wafels. While he didn’t give me his recipe, he gave me a number to his friend in Bruges who owns a bakery and makes “the best wafels”,  who would show me how to make both the Liege and Brussels wafel. Success!! My first contact and proof that it never does hurt to ask!

But first…I give into temptation

How could I resist?

Grand Place

Victor Hugo once called Brussels’ Grand Place as the most beautiful in all of Europe. Indeed, the square is surrounded by elegant and ornate buildings comprised of many coffee and chocolate shops. It is here that you will find flagship stores of world famous chocolatiers Godiva and Leonida’s. There is much debate among locals as to which shop is best. While Godiva’s hand crafted pralines are almost double the cost of the machine made confections of Leonida’s, most locals I spoke to would sacrifice some quality to buy quantity. This is Belgium after all…it’s all good!  This would explain the heavy tourist presence inside Godiva. Sadly, Belgian pralines remain solely a gourmet staple. Most locals prefer to buy their chocolates rather than attempt to make them at home; so no home recipes here. There is something to the allure of being able to mix and match a box of pralines to take home and devour…or in my case devour before I even get back to my hotel. However, if I want to find local recipes perhaps I should steer clear of gourmet delicacies and indulgences and leave some things to tradition, luxury and craftsmanship. I mean, who goes into a Christian Louboutin boutique to learn how to make shoes?

Box of Leonida's Pralines

Pralines