Pumpkin Pie

This is a family favorite and I used some of my precious stash of canned pumpkin to make not one, but two of these pies for our Thanksgiving feast.  This recipe was also featured in my interview with Albanian Living Magazine.

PUMPKIN PIE

3 cups cooked, pureed pumpkin or squash (or 1 29-oz can pumpkin puree)
3 Tablespoons white sugar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1 unbaked pie shell


1)  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2)  Place the pumpkin puree in a medium-sized bowl, and add all of the other ingredients.  Beat until
     smooth with an electric mixer.

The batter comes together so quickly

I got fancy and added pumpkin cutouts around the rim of the pie plate

3)  Spread the mixture over the pie crust and bake at 35 for 10 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 350
      and bake another 40 minutes, or until the pie is firm in the center when shaken lightly.

4)  Cool at least to room temperature before serving.  The pie can be eaten chilled or at room
      temperature.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

Exploring the Viktualienmarkt

Produce for sale

For me, the coolest part of our short stay in Munich was exploring the Viktualienmark. In existence since 1807, this market has expanded regularly and is now filled with an amazing assortment of vendors.   Located in the heart of the city center, during our visit this open air market was filled with all of the seasonal delicacies that this food obsessed but equally food deprived person could ever dream of.  Stall after stall was filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, cheeses, meats, and fish.  Even the most ordinary carrots, cabbage, and oranges---items readily available in Albanian markets throughout the year-- looked especially enticing while the more exotic- much of what I didn't recognize- made me want to buy everything in sight to carry back to Albania with me.  Just think about the meals I could create!

I know I've been in Albania too long when I am amazed that the designated pedestrian only zone of the market is truly pedestrian only.  (The main market in Tirana is filled with mopeds and diesel chugging Mercedes making shopping a dual sport of browsing for food and dodging errant vehicles.  This German experience is so much more pleasant).  Intermingled with the food purveyors were casual restaurants selling all sorts of German goodies.  A few of the places had seating under heated tents but most had stand up counter service.  As we wandered through during the noon hour, beer, gluhwein, pretzels, and every kind of sausage imaginable was being consumed by clusters of people huddled around bistro tables and benches.  We opted for a restaurant with sit down tables for our quick lunch of sausage, pretzels, apple strudel, beer (and of course Fanta).  I've always been a believer in atmosphere and presentation contributing to the enjoyment factor of food consumption and eating in the Viktualienmarkt only exemplified this.

The boys selecting a sausage to take home

Pretzel shaped sausages

  

Green cheese even the man on the moon would approve of - this one was infused
with pesto but I also saw a wasabi version

Cheese, cheese, and more cheese

Spices and other dried goods

One of many meat shops lining Viktualienmarkt

A gaggle of straw geese leading the way to another vendor

My morning at the market has made me want to cook.  I know I will not be able to find the same plethora of delicacies in Albania but I'm inspired to make a go of it.  I'm not sure where to start. Perhaps with homemade pretzels or a savory bread.  Or maybe I'll try to replicate the apple strudel with vanilla sauce we tried.  Maybe now is the time to try my hand at homemade sausages.  Decisions, decisions........recipes will be sure to follow.

Gluhwein (Mulled Wine)

Nothing says Christmas to me more than mulled red wine.  Called by its German name of gluhwein, this warm spicy red wine is a staple of the holiday season throughout Europe.  Regardless of where you are the base of the drink is the same; red wine is simmered with a variety of spices producing a warm and intoxicating drink that is sipped from small cups purchased from street vendors.  Each country seems to have their own take on this traditional drink; in the Czech Republic slices of lemon float on top of the drink while orange is the citrus of choice in Slovenia and Croatia.  Germany and Austria seem to forgo the the fruit but "class" up their presentation by serving the hot beverage from commemorative mugs instead of paper cups.  (This makes consumption so much more enjoyable).  Look around a town square during the holiday season and groups of people will be standing around sipping their drinks and enjoying the holiday season.

I've been making my own version of gluhwein for many years.  Whether it was served at our Christmas parties in Norfolk, VA or Tirana, Albania, every drop of the spicy warm goodness is inevitably gone by the end of the night.  You can easily double or triple the following recipe if you are serving a crowd (or want a lot for yourself).  For larger groups I like to make the gluhwein in a crock pot which makes it easy to serve and keeps it warm until the last drop has been drunk.

GLUHWEIN

2 .75 liters dry red wine

1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup white sugar-or more to taste

10 whole peppercorns

10 whole allspice

20 whole cloves

6 whole cinnamon sticks

zest of two oranges

1)  Toast spices in a small saucepan until fragrant being careful not to scorch them.

2)  Place smaller spices (peppercorns, allspice, and cloves) in a tea ball or cheesecloth bag.  Place all of

     the spices into a large saucepan or crackpot.  

3)  Add the wine, brandy, sugar, and orange zest to the pot.

4)  Bring to a simmer over medium heat being careful not to boil the liquid.  Stir occasionally to make
     sure sugar is dissolved.

5)  Reduce heat and let steep a minimum of 1 hour or longer.

When using a crock pot, I will use the "warm" setting and allow the flavors to intensify for the duration of serving while keeping the gluhwein warm.

Enjoying gluhwein in Garmisch, Germany

Gouda Bread Pudding

I'm always on the lookout for new side dishes.  All too often I jump in with gusto with the entree but by the time it comes to planning and actually cooking the accompaniments, I run out of steam.  Seriously, there are only so many times I can serve risotto or scalloped potatoes for dinner. Looking for inspiration, I recently dug through the enormous cookbook collection that I had insisted on bringing with us to Albania (despite it's pushing us towards the upper limit of our weight allowance I assured Glenn that I would indeed use all of the books).  As a member of a cookbook of the month club I have a lot of books that have arrived simply because I forgot to tell them not to send the  month's selection.  When this happens I usually scan through the book, mark interesting recipes for future use, and cram it onto a shelf along with previous month's surprise arrivals.  High on this shelf I found Paula Lambert's Cheese, Glorious Cheese, a book dedicated to you guessed it, cheese.  I had indeed marked several recipes but as far as I could tell, had never tried any of them.  

We had British guests coming for a family style dinner and I was looking for something easy to accompany the steaks we were planning on grilling.  When I saw the Gouda Bread Pudding recipe I knew it was just the thing.  Easy, fast, and tasty.  I served it from the table in a large souffle dish but it could just as easily be served in individual dishes for a more elegant presentation.  The Gouda was good but I plan on trying out other cheese combinations in the future.....Swiss, cheddar, bleu, pepper jack.......the possibilities are endless.

GOUDA BREAD PUDDING

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 baguette

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups shredded sharp, aged Gouda

1)  Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl.  Add the milk, creme fraiche or sour cream, salt, and 

     pepper and whisk until well combined.

2)  Cut the baguette in half, then cut it into quarters and finally into 1-inch cubes.  Add the bread to the

     egg mixture and toss to combine.  Leave to soak up the liquid at least 10 minutes.

3)  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Generously butter an 8-inch to 10-inch casserole or souffle dish.

4)  Transfer 1/3 or the soaked bread to the casserole and sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese on top.  Repeat

      layering the bread and cheese until the casserole is filled.  You should have 3 or 4 layers of bread

      and cheese.  

5)  Pour any remaining egg mixture over the bread.  Finish by sprinkling the remaining cheese in a

     thick layer on top.

6)  Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the bread pudding has puffed up in the
      center and the top is crusty and golden brown.   Serve hot.