Germany

In International Foods this week we made two dishes from the country of Germany. This country has stood out to me ever since my Aunt hosted a foreign exchange student from there. So, I was excited to try the German cuisine.

Germany is located in the middle of Western Europe, the summer nights are long while the winters are cold and snowy. Being located by Italy and France has caused Germany to adopt many of their spices and cooking methods. Cuisines in Germany vary based on region. Germany has mountains, plains, and seas that all produce different German dishes. Lamb, pork, and beef are common meats used in Germany. Some common spices include mustard, horseradish, and juniper berries.

Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer)
Ingredients

• 3 medium potatoes
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons grease

Recipe

1. Peel and shred potatoes, pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Mix potatoes, eggs, onion, flour, and salt.
3. Heat grease in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Pour 1/4 cup potato mixture for each pancake and spread with a turner to about 4 inches in diameter.
5. Cook pancakes until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Repeat process with the remaining batter. Add grease if pancakes start to stick.
6. Keep warm in oven.

Bierocks

Ingredients

• 1 package refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

1. Open crescent rolls; spread out onto cutting board; cut in half.
2. Line a sprayed 8 x8 inch pan with half of the crescent rolls.
3. Brown meat in a non-stick skillet; drain excess grease; return to skillet and add onion, cabbage, salt, and pepper. Cook together until cabbage wilts.
4. Place 1 cup of the cheese as the first layer onto the crescent roll layer.
5. Top this with the meat mixture.
6. Layer 1 more cup of cheese.
7. Top with the remaining crescent roll.
8. Bake according to package directions of the crescent rolls.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this German unit, both dishes were great. If I were to make these dishes again, I would take the cabbage out of the bierocks and leave the potato pancakes as they were. Being a picky eater, I wasn't really interested in the idea of German food. However, I was pleasantly surprised. So far, this unit has been my favorite.

Italy

Italia! The land of pizza, pasta, and most importantly where the Lizzie McGuire took place! This week in International Foods we dove into the Italian culture.

Italian cusine varies based on the region of Italy being discussed. For example, in Venice, they use spices much more than in other parts of Italy because geographically, Venice was a convenient port. Since there was a lot of trading done, they had access to a lot of spices. Another example is in Parma, Parma itself is full of gradually sloping hills. The consistent dry breeze made it an ideal location for curing and aging pork products. In the south of Italy, it is very warm. As a result, they perfected their techniques for drying pasta and preserving it rather than making a batch of fresh pasta when it was needed. 

Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients

• 1-8 oz. cream cheese, cut in small pieces
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 oz. Fettuccine noodles
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Recipe

1. In a large saucepan combine cream cheese, Parmesan, butter, and milk.
2. On medium-low temperature, heat the mixture while stirring constantly.
3. Heat and stir until it becomes smooth and creamy.
4. While sauce is being prepared, being 6 cups of water and the salt to a boil.
5. When the water begins to boil, add noodles and reduce heat to medium-high.
6. Cook until tender, but firm.
7. Using a colander, drain pasta from water.
8. Add pasta to the cheese sauce and toss lightly, coating well.
9. Serve hot.

My Thoughts

Considering I am a picky eater, Italian food is one style of food that for the most part I like. Pizza, pasta, spaghetti, love it. Fettuccine Alfredo however, not so much. If I'm eating any type of pasta, it's going to be spaghetti with a red sauce. I've never veered about from that until I tried this dish, and probably will be sticking to the spaghetti with red sauce from here on. The pasta we made had way too much sauce which just kind of ruined the dish. I would recommend halving the sauce. Also, we made our own egg noodles, which I actually thought was really cool. It was a pain, but they turned out well. I would've have preferred to make a dish like lasagna or another type of pasta but with red sauce for Italy. This unit wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't the worst either. Off to the next.

Greece

This week we tackled the country of Greece in International Foods. I've been intrigued by this country since the Kardashians went there a few episodes ago.

Greek traditional food is unique for it's nutritional and health value. This is mainly because of it's Mediterranean climate. Greece is a nation of farmers who produce an array of cheeses, oils, fruits, nuts, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Greece's climate is perfect for growing olive and lemon trees, two key ingredients in Greek cooking. 20% of Greece is made of islands and no part of the Greek mainland is more than 90 miles from the seas, this makes fish and other seafood popular dishes. Lamb and goat, which are typically thought of as Greek dishes, are traditionally holiday meals. Greece is covered in vineyards, making wine a national spirit.

Greek Salad
Ingredients

• 1/2 head of iceberg or romaine lettuce
• 2 tomatoes, quartered, or 10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup feta cheese, broken into chunks
• 12 to 16 black Greek olives
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Recipe

1. Wash and prepare all vegetables.
2. Tear lettuce into bite size pieces and put into salad bowl.
3. Add tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, scallions, feta cheese and olives.
4. Pour dressing over salad and toss.
5. Serve on chilled salad plates.

Dressing
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Recipe

1. Whisk together all ingredients except olive oil.
2. Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly.

My Thoughts

Not going to lie, I didn't even try this dish. Salad is a type of food that has never really interested me. It's pretty much like eating grass and leaves if you ask me, and that does not sound appetizing. Personally, I think we should have made something else for this Greece unit. A salad seems to be a classic dish in most countries and I would've liked to make a true Greek dish, not just an appetizer. Anyways, I wasn't pleased with this unit and I'm ready for the next. Italy here we come!

Spain

This week in International Foods we focused on the country of Spain and made a Spanish omelet.

Spain is a country located in southern Europe. It is on the Iberian Peninsula to the south of France and east of Portugal. Spain has a coastline on the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea. The main food products produced from the Spanish region are grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus, beef, pork, poultry, dairy products and fish. As you can imagine, this is what their dishes mostly consist of and focus heavily on.

Spanish Omelet

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 large potato, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Recipe

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over moderate heat. Add onion and potato and sprinkle with salt. Cook until soft, but not brown, stirring occasionally.
2. Add about one-third of beaten egg. Using a spatula, lift up omelet at the edges and center to allow egg to run under potato and onion. Repeat this procedure until all egg has been added.
3. When egg is firm but still slightly moist and golden on the bottom, run the spatula under to loosen it from the pan. Then place a plate over the top and flip omelet onto the plate.
4. Add another tablespoon olive oil to the pan and slide the omelet back in, brown side up. Continue cooking omelet over moderate heat until golden on the other side.

My Thoughts
Personally, I really enjoyed this Spanish unit. The omelet we made was surprisingly good. Although, I would would have have enjoyed to try a real meal instead of just a breakfast cuisine, I still believe this dish is worth trying. If I had to change anything about this recipe, I wouldn't do as many potatoes or I would've chopping them into thinner cubes. Overall, Spain was a success.