The G20 Series: Germany

By Chris Garbutt

Let’s unload my old stereotypes right off the bat: my impression of German food for a long time was that it consisted of sauerkraut, sausage and schnitzel. I did learn a while back, though, that schnitzel is really an Austrian food, and have also learned that there’s a lot more to German cuisine than wurst!

Not that there’s anything wrong with sausage. Last year I attended a conference in Waterloo, and Bratwurst played a central role in one of the meals based on food from descendants of German immigrants in the region. I don’t know if it’s authentic to have it with mustard, but oh, I did not care. (Yes it is, says this site, which also lists about a dozen different kinds of German sausages among over a thousand varieties.)

But let’s not forget how important ham is to the country – called Schinken in German, there are easily dozens of different styles of making ham. Also check out this recipe for Bavarian Ham Hocks, aka Schweinshaxe.

If all this meatiness is making your stomach a little heavy, there’s always Blaue Forelle (Blue Trout), which gets its name from the bluish hue that results from scalding the fist, then immediately fanning it to cool.

A popular snack food in Germany is called Strammer Max, which is ham and an egg on toast, and is making me hungry for breakfast.

Looking for a place to try some real German food in the city? You can get your wurst on (and even your schnitzel!) at The Musket, Little Bavaria, The Blue Danube, or Amadeus.

The G20 Series: Brazil

Let’s face it, trying to come up with a summary of the cuisines of entire countries in a few short paragraphs is a bit of a Sysiphean task. Nations are complicated places, with regional cuisines that are sometimes foreign even to other parts of the country.

Which brings me to Brazil. The largest country in South America – and future host of both the World Cup and the Olympics – Brazil is diverse both in its geography and its people, and therefore its cuisines. Like Argentina, Brazil produces and eats a lot of beef. Unfortunately, cattle are responsible for the majority of deforestation in the country. Still, there’s more to Brazil than beef.

(And, for that matter, coffee.)

Considered the national dish of the country, feijoada is a stew of black beans and meats. You can make it the old fashioned way by including pork ears, tails and/or feet, but if your tastes are less adventurous, you can stick to sausages, pork tenderloin and bacon. I confess I have not tried this, but if anyone wants a volunteer for tasting their feijoada, you can reach me through this blog!

My own experience with Brazilian food is limited, a fact that I promise to address soon by visiting one of our city’s many Brazilian restaurants. A friend of mine who grew up in Brazil, and who has taught cooking classes for university students with me, once showed me how a bean salad can be made more delicious by adding hearts of palm. She also said she very often cooked with a pressure cooker when she was in Brazil, but when she moved to Canada, she had trouble even finding one to buy.

While cheering Brazil all the way to the World Cup final (my prediction, at least according to my office pool), try some moequeca capixaba (a fish stew); some fried plantain soup; farofa (a toasted manioc meal); or even pan de queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread. And save some for me.

Friday 5 – What to do with spring vegetables

By Chris Garbutt

It’s been a while, but I thought it was time for another Friday 5. Vegetables are finally fresh again! So let’s look at five links on what to do with them:

1. Radishes. Radish, Boursin & Chive Tartines.

2. Spinach. Italian Sausage & Spinach Pasta.

3. Asparagus. Well, you can make Chicken, Feta and Asparagus Salad for yourself. Or maybe an Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta. Of course, you can eat it on its own, but can you eat it with your fingers? Forget all that, just grill it already!

4. Scallions. Make pancakes! Yummy!

5. If you can find some really really fresh peas (I might be pushing this one in Toronto right now), try this one.

…

Oh, all right…

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a big fan of rhubarb. But it is a classic spring vegetable, so enjoy. Just don’t ask me over:

Rhubarb Soup

Orange-Rhubarb Compote

Rhubarb Cobbler – I think this would be amazing with any fruit, by the way. If you substitute, please ask me over.

Friday 5 – Squash

By Chris Garbutt

Stephanie and I liked the Fall Foods 5 post so much, I thought I’d offer some more, with a focus on squash. It’s not just for Thanksgiving anymore!

1. Butternut squash soup is so passé. Try Acorn Squash Soup with Cumin and Curry Leaf.

2. Slice up that butternut squash instead and make a pastry.

3. It’s a recipe for Sausage and Rapini Stew, but the squash pulls it all together.

4. Save the seeds and roast them. Or keep them for planting.

5. Pumpkin is a squash, and now it’s a flavour for a beer.

Photo by Flickr user x-eyedblonde, used under a Creative Commons licence.