Romanians call this dish Sarmale. However since I visited a Hungarian village cabbage festival, we’re going with their title. Stuffed cabbage varieties abound throughout Eastern and Central Europe- other names include holubky (Czech), holishkes (Yiddish), goÅ‚Ä…bki (Polish), and balandeliai (Lithuanian). In the German language I grew up with, they are known as Kohlrouladen. The recipe below is based on one in the well-written and interesting cookbook “Jewish Soul Food, from Minsk to Marrakech” by Janna Gur. Recipe makes about 12-14 cabbage rolls depending on the size of your cabbage 1 large head of green cabbage Filling Ingredients 2 onions ½ cup rice (I used basmati, any longer grain type will work) 1 pound ground beef (you can substitute ground lamb, turkey, veal, or a mix. Some fat is desirable in the meat.) 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup water 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika…

This delectable nut cake is a local specialty of the Engadine region. It’s eaten on august 1st and all year round. The nusstorte features ingredients plentiful in this area -walnuts, honey, cream, and kirsch, a distilled cherry brandy. It’s my very favorite cake and if you know me, that’s saying a lot! 1 prepared pie crust (I prefer Trader Joe’s crust from the freezer case) 1 and 1/3 cups sugar1 cup heavy cream, warmed3 tablespoons honey2 tablespoons Kirsch, a distilled cherry brandy2 and 3/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the sugar over medium heat in a saucepan just until it becomes a liquidy golden brown, approximately 8-10 minutes. (If it starts to crystallize early on, raise the heat a bit.) Very carefully, and wearing a potholder to prevent steam burn, first reduce heat to low and then add the warm heavy cream, stirring constantly. (The…

You can use any kind of ice cream and any kind of cookies as long as they are sturdy enough not to absorb the ice cream. You want crunchy cookies and ideally, since they should be “bite size”, not the monster ones they sell in the glass case at the delicatessen. You could make your own cookies, but it’s the lazy days of summer, so I buy a few varieties in those clear plastic tubs from Trader Joe”s. The pistachio white chocolate ones were killer, but they seem to have followed several of their compatriots into the Trader Joe’s Product Graveyard. I always splurge on premium ice cream for these treats. Ingredients 1 quart Trader Joe’s French Vanilla Super premium ice cream (or your favorite brand/flavor) Crunchy cookies – Trader Joes plastic tubs or your choice Directions Remove ice cream to soften on counter. (try not to consume in entirety…

A delicious watermelon gazpacho, which is truly Summer in a Bowl. It comes together in minutes in a food processor, looks glam enough to serve your guests, and the flavors are anything but one-note. I love it with fresh tortilla chips. This recipe originated from Chef Richie De Mane at my favorite local restaurant, Pearl District. Richie De Mane’s Watermelon Gazpacho – Alysa’s Summer in a Bowl Place watermelon, peppers, cucumber, onion, celery and fennel in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Reserve 1â…” cups of this watermelon-vegetable mixture in a smaller bowl. Put the remaining watermelon-vegetable mixture in a blender, and beginning with short pulsing, puree until smooth. Pour in a large bowl and add tomato juice or puree, lemon and lime juice, seasoned rice wine vinegar, Old Bay (if using), Tabasco, Sriracha, and stir. Chill in refrigerator chill 30 minutes or longer. While gazpacho is chilling, cut the…

These Kipferl are the quintessential taste of Vienna. A perfect bite, they offer sweetness, crunch, and a pleasing nutty texture all wrapped up in a playful crescent moon shape. Nothing goes better with a cup of Vienna’s legendary coffee. Makes about 6 dozen Ingredients: 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter 2/3 cup sugar 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour ¾ cup (4 ounces) almonds ground in a food processor or chopped by hand. (some very small nut pieces are fine, just make sure it’s mostly ground.) Vanilla sugar (see note*; must be made in advance, or purchased) Cookie sheet(s) with parchment (my preference) or foil, lightly greased The Recipe First prepare the dough. Cream butter and sugar together until well blended with a kitchen or hand-held mixer in a large bowl. Add the flour and almonds together to the butter/sugar mixture. Using either an electric device (I use a KitchenAid…