Thanks so much for sharing those!
Here are some from Vienna, Austria.
Mushroom Soup
Vienna, Austria, Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2009
8 (1-cup) servings
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
3 cups vegetable stock
5 medium ribs of celery, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
5 large carrots, chopped
12 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
Coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. Rinse and dry the porcini mushrooms. Place in 2 cups of cold water in a medium bowl; set aside to soak for at least four hours or overnight.
2. Place the vegetable stock in a large pot over medium heat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until it begins to simmer. Stir in celery, onions, and carrots.
3. Strain the dried mushrooms, stirring the liquid into the stock. Chop porcinis into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the stock.
4. Stir in shiitake mushrooms and crimini mushrooms, cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce heat to low. Cook for about an hour, or until vegetables are tender.
5. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add flour to make the roux, and cook, stirring constantly until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Remove 1 cup broth from soup and add to the roux, whisking constantly for 1 to 2 minutes or until roux slightly thickens and is free of lumps. Stir into soup.
7. Stir in parsley and dill. Purée soup with immersion blender for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth.
8. Add sour cream, whisking constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls.
Goulash mit Servietten Knoedel (Paprika Beef Stew with Bacon Dumplings)
Vienna, Austria, Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2009
Serves 4 - 6
Goulash
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups finely diced onion
1 green bell pepper, ribs removed, sliced into thin strips
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 pounds beef stew
Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 bay leaves
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes, crushed by hand
Lemon zest from two lemons
Bacon Dumplings
1 (16 oz) loaf unsliced soft white bread
3 slices bacon
3/4 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste
5 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Pinch nutmeg
For Goulash:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan. Sauté the onions and bell pepper in the oil until translucent but not browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic.
2. Stir in the beef and season with salt and pepper. As beef cooks, add the paprika, cayenne pepper, caraway seeds, and bay leaves. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes and return to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
4. Remove the bay leaves; stir in lemon zest just before serving.
For Bacon Dumplings:
1. Slice bread into 12 slices, then trim crust and dice slices into 1 inch cubes. Set aside.
2. Fry bacon until crisp in a skillet over medium heat. Remove from the skillet and sauté celery and onions in the rendered bacon fat. Crumble bacon strips and set aside.
3. Add heavy cream to the skillet, stirring to loosen any browned bits on the bottom. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in crumble bacon and remove from heat.
4. Whisk eggs in a bowl large enough to hold the bread cubes. Stir in the warm cream, then fold in bread cubes and chives.
5. With your hands, form an oblong roll that will fit in a pan. Wrap in plastic wrap, then seal in aluminum foil. Poach, covered, in simmering water for 45 minutes.
6. Remove from water, unwrap and cool. To serve, slice and sauté in butter. Top with goulash.
Note: look for paprika specifically labeled "Hungarian, " as it delivers vibrant color and rich flavors to this dish.
My Note:
My mother has been making these kind of dumplings her entire life (they are my favorite kind), and she has never wrapped them in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before cooking. They didn't even have those kind of things in the tiny German farming village she grew up and where she learned to make proper dumplings by watching her grandmother. A German girl was not considered a good wife unless she knew how to make proper dumplings. A Serviette is a napkin and the "oblong" shape is wraped in a type of linen napkin and boiled. You could also use cheesecloth or just make round balls and drop them into boiling water. It is NEVER wrapped in plastic *shudder*.
Spaetzle Gratin
Germany Pavilion, Chef Artur Bukalo, Epcot 2009 Food and Wine Festival
Spaetzle Gratin
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup diced onions
¼ cup diced ham
1-cup heavy cream
1-cup milk
¾ cup whole eggs
2 cups Spaetzle (home made or purchased)
¼ cup Gruyere cheese
½ cup or more Cheddar cheese for topping
Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for the Spaetzle noodles:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¾ teaspoons salt
1 ¼ cups whole milk
3 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
Spaetzle machine
Prepare the Spaetzle noodles first. To make the pasta, first bring a pot of salted water to a boil and keep at a bare simmer. Fill another large bowl with very cold water and set aside.
Whisk together flour and 1-teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together milk, eggs, and heavy cream in another bowl, then whisk into flour until batter is smooth.
In the pot with simmering water, push the pasta through the Spaetzle machine. You could also use a colander with larger holes to create the noodle strands. When they start floating to the surface after about a minute, transfer the noodles to the bowl of cold water.
Toss the drained Spaetzle with a little oil. You can find Spaetzle at a German Specialty store if you prefer to purchase them.
For the sauce, start by adding butter to a sauté pan. Sauté diced onions and ham in butter. In a separate bowl, mix heavy cream, milk and whole eggs. That is going to help congeal the pasta together and give the dish its binding and great flavor.
Add the sautéed ham and onions and Gruyere cheese to the Spaetzle. Add the cream-milk-eggs liquid inside the casserole dish and mix together. Don't forget to add salt and pepper to taste.
The last step is to add extra aged cheddar cheese over the top of the mixed Spaetzle.
Put in a 350-degree oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
