German Sausage Soup

In September, when my husband and I arrived in Hannover, Germany, in the home of Hans and Bea, we were exhausted from many hours of travel.

It was early evening and Hans had prepared a wonderful German Sausage Soup for us. It was delicious and just what we needed. With it, he served great those great dark rich, thinly-sliced German breads and sliced cheeses. Perfect for the weary travelers!

I sometimes serve a soup to guests when they arrive. I think of it as homey, welcoming and comforting. Regardless of how far someone has traveled, a soup can sooth the body and soul!

In the next blog, I will give you my version of Hans soup. I know that a good sausage is essential. Hans told me the main ingredients and even took me to an open-air market to show me the kind of cabbage he used. (His electronic dictionary didn't help with the translation here!)

We literally "ate our way" through Germany - 12 days- and then through Croatia for another 6 days. Thankfully we walked a lot! Every time we went to the 6th floor of our apartment in Berlin, we passed by the elevator and took the stairs - 116 steps in all!! In Dubrovnik, we walked around the old town using the ancient wall. There's another 300 steps! That deserves some more good food - right? That was our philosophy.

Till next week -

Mary

French Crepes

If you haven't read the book, "My Life in France," check it out. I loved it!!! Okay, so I am a foodie and huge fan of Julia Child. Regardless of that, this book is a great read and you can develop more of an appreciation of how her late-blooming career developed. Lovely story!

Here's the recipe I use for crepes:

BASIC SWEET CREPES

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup cold milk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup melted butter (Yes...butter!)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Place all ingredients, except vegetable oil, in a blender, following the order as listed. Blend for 1 minute.

2. Refrigerate 2 hours or more to allow the flour particles to swell and soften.

3. Heat a skillet or crepe pan. Coat lightly with some of the vegetable oil. Pour in about 3 tablespoons batter. Quickly tilt the pan so the batter forms a 6-inch circle.

4. Cook 1 minute or until lightly browned. Turn the crepe and cook 30 seconds. Place on a rack to cool. Repeat cooking with remaining batter. These can be made ahead, stacked between layers of waxed paper and refrigerated. Makes 12 crepes.

Sweet fillings can be anything from sliced fruits and whipped cream to nutella as shown in the photo in the previous blog. Bing cherries and Rainier cherries are in season now. These could easily be simmered in cherry or apple jelly for a super-simple filling. Maybe my next blog will be whatever recipe I create for a cherry filling! Yummmmm....

Crepes - In honor of Julia

In honor of Julia Child and the release of the movie "Julie and Julia," let's think about crepes. These photos were taken "streetside" in Paris. It was a cool April day. The crepes were warm and inviting. We couldn't refuse the opportunity. The only problem was which one (or ones) to order. We chose a savory and a sweet. Both were wonderful.

The first crepes I made were from Julia Child's cookbook on French cooking that I bought in 1968 - in Taiwan!

Julia Child's recipe is a classic and works perfectly every time. I'll give you my slightly changed version in the next blog. In the meantime, get your taste buds ready. I think I'll make some crepes this evening! bon appetit!

Here is a great, simple appetizer with a Mexican flair. Notice that the food styling of this photo is just okay ...not portfolio quality! It shows a nice black bean and corn salsa-salad accompanied by tortilla scoopers arranged on a Mexican plate. Not bad...but shot by an amateur with a point and shoot camera and no special lighting!

Now, take a look at the nicely styled and beautifully photographed shot of a similar recipe as shown on Portfolio #1 on my website.

I styled that photo in Visual Cuisine's studio in Altamonte Springs, FL . Susan Bourgoin is the studio owner and photographer. Wow! What a difference when styled with care on perfectly chosen props and then shot by a professional! Like they say, "Don't try this at home!"

Regardless of how it looks, here's the recipe. Believe me, it tastes great! This recipe is also featured in a Vegetarian Cuisine DVD program that Wendy and I produced last year.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

1 jalapeno pepper

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

4 cups cooked black beans, drained

2 cups whole kernel corn

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Slice strips from the jalapeno, leaving the seeds intact. Finely chop the strips. Set aside.

2. Chop the cilantro leaves. combine the jalapeno, cilantro and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to mix well.

3. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes for flavors to blend

4. Serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips, as a side salad or on greens for a main dish serving.

Copyright 2009 - Mary Holloway

Market Food in Mazatlan, Mexico

This photo was taken at the central market in Mazatlan. I love the "local color" this photo represents and the memories of being there.

This stall was on the perimeter of the market, facing the street. The sidewalk between this lady's counter and the street was not more than two feet. While standing, ordering and waiting for food, customers are jousted by all of the people passing along the sidewalk, carrying their goods from the market while pulling their children behind them.

Factor in the noise of the traffic behind you, the smells of the market, (not always pleasant) people yelling at each other, riders getting off/on busses etc. Now you begin to get the real flavor of the scene! Despite all of this, this lady prepares wonderful food with a wonderfully pleasant attitude!

You'll notice she had all the "fixins" for tacos, burritos and other Mexican specialties to be eaten out-of-hand. I love the bowls of garnishes along the front of her counter.

In my next blog I'll give you a recipe for a great summer salad based on the ingredients you see here! Think Mexican, cool, spicy and vegetarian!

Sauce for Summer Fruits

Summer fruits...part 2. Today I developed a new recipe - a sauce for summer fruits.

Zabaglione, as used in the fruit parfait on my website, is a classic sauce. Made with egg yolks, wine and sugar - like yum! It is cooked and beaten over simmering water until it is light and frothy. Let me clarify - it is light in texture although not light in calories!

Another classic sauce is creme anglaise - the rich custard sauce made with cream and egg yolks. Oh, yes, when I make this, I add orange zest to add nutritive value - LOL.

Today, my goal was to create a really quick and easy sauce that would be low in fat and calories, yet flavorful to compliment the fruit flavors with overpowering them.

Here's my recipe:

Combine 1 cup lowfat (2% milkfat) Greek strained yogurt, 1 cup vanilla pudding (made from a mix is fine) and 1 cup lowfat vanilla flavored yogurt. That's it! I said it was easy.

If you haven't tried Greek yogurt before, give it a try. Last year when I was talking to an Australian chef, working at a private villa on Santorini, Greece, he insisted I try 2% milkfat Greek yogurt. He uses it extensively in his creations. He was right - it's great!

The photo shows fruits with the sauce. Immediately after I took the picture, Steve gave the recipe a final taste test!

Let me know how this recipe works for you! You can email me from my website: www.foodstylist-maryholloway.com

Finnish Fruits

Wow! Don't you love these pictures? Nothing is better than fresh fruit, straight from the farm. These photos were taken in the Helsinki market near the harbor. We were there in June, the perfect time for spring and early summer produce. I know that Steve and I ate our share of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries during our visit there.

In the next blog I'll give you a recipe for using these fruits. In the meantime, just enjoy the fruit eaten out-of-hand or with yogurt or ice cream. In the next blog, I'll give you the recipe for an easy sauce - oh so good.