ludja

Do you have the name and author of the book, Adam? I'm always on the lookout for new Austrian food/cookbooks... Thanks also for the information on the various pear breads, anzu. I've had Birnbrot in western Switzerland (Graubunden) and it was delicious, but that is the extent of my experience with them. I asked my Mom about uses for dried pears and the first thing she said was, "Kletzenbrot". Is "Hutzelbrot" the Black Forest version? The versions with rye flour sound very interesting; I suppose those might be more German? (I say this because I've noticed the use of rye flour and rye breadcrumbs more in German, rather than Austrian, dessert recipes.) I wonder if dried pears might also be used in some strudels. I've seen pear strudels (filo dough type) but the ones I've had and seen were made with fresh pears. I could picture them more ground up as a filling in the "Germstrudel" (yeast strudel) type doughs. The latter idea is a complete hypothetical though, as I've not ever seen or heard of it.

Thanks also for posting the fascinating historical photos, including your great grandfather settler. What a handsome guy! The background goes quite far in getting a feel for some aspects of the region and how it has developed. Thanks for your terrific effort!

"Sturm" is a great treat that starts being available in the autumn. In Styria, Graz and the rest of the state, they have a special Sturm made out of very local grape, Schilcher. This wine is made as a very dry rose, which is incidentally also very nice when bottled as the "non-Sturm" version. The "trick", I've heard, with Sturm is not to drink too much--it can upset your stomach if drunk in too large quantities!

And if I'm not mistaken, this the Hofbackerei Edegger (unlaut over the "a" in backerei) also located pretty near the innercity main square, or "Hauptplatz" of Graz. This photo shows the whole facade, taken in daylight, including the date the bakery was founded, 1569! I had heard that there had been a fire somewhat recently that had damaged the facade but as confirmed by the photos and a recent trip of a family member to Graz, the damage was luckily relatively light and/or was able to be fixed. The bakery had been for many years a source of baked goods for Austrian royalty, hence the "Hof" or "court" prefix in the name. Here is a link to their website: click (Note: It is only in German, and not very navigation-friendly.)

What a nice, regional meal from the area--Styria or in German, Steirmark.

Exciting to see your visit to Graz, Adam! This is where my grandparent's live and my Mom grew up; I've spent a lot of wonderful times in the city there. The little bread canapes, called, at least locally, "brotchen", are one of my favorite things to eat there. Two of my favorites are the caviar and egg brotchen and the "fleischsalat" or meat salad versions. I can't tell for certain from the photos, but it looks from the photos that it could be one of the best places for brotchen; a place called "Frankowitsch" in the center of the old inner city. Was there a small deli/store attached right to it by an inside door? Here is the website for Frankowitsch: click. As my grandmother still makes the main meal midday, on the last night of our visits in Graz it is our tradition to buy a bunch of brotchen there and eat them at home with champagne. I also love to sneak in there during excursions downtown during the day as well for a few brotchen in the midst of shopping. They have beers of all sizes, but mid-morning, the small "Pfiff" size is just right! (The word 'brotchen" has an umlaut over the "o" and it means "little bread", the "chen" ending being a general diminuative.)

Thank you for your comments, David Leite. I agree with ranchogordo that some commentary on the picks would be really instructive. In any case, I'm looking forward to looking closer at the books that made your list. We do have comments on a number of them already. Here is another book that was just mentioned in the SF Chronicle: click Confessions of a French Baker by Peter Mayle and Gerard Auzet (Alfred A. Knopf, 91 pages small-format hardcover, $16.95).

About how much Fernet Branca do you like in this drink? Just a dash or a bit more than that? Thanks!

This thread reminded me of a little part of our family's thoroughly Austrian Christmas celebration that has a Swedish angle. Many years ago, my Mom bought what was called a "Swedish Christmas Tree" from a large Scandinavian Shop in CT (The Tri Kroner). It is a two-dimensional 'tree' made out of light colored wooden dowels that sits on a table or window sill. The main 'trunk' rises vertically from a wooden base and there are graduated 'branches' made out of wooden dowels that stick out from the sides in one dimension. The tree is decorated with small Swedish Christmas ornaments like santas, apples, goats, stars, angels, etc that are made out of painted wood and straw. We keep the color scheme to primarily red, white and straw. The ends of the wooden dowels have red, shiny painted wooden balls screwed on the end. The store is no longer in existence but eveyone in my family has one of these trees with ornaments. It doesn't replace our 'regular' tree but it is a cherished Christmas decoration. Does anyone know if this type of decoration is typical or widely available or is it just a charming albeit ersatz American/Scandinavian invention? Or maybe just from this one store!? Thanks for the wonderful descriptions of your Christmas Eve smorgasbords. This type of dinner is similar to the cold Austrian dinner buffet we have on Christmas Eve--except that the coldcuts, cheeses, sausages, fish, breads, etc are those more typical of Austrian traditions. IT is also followed up with a huge platter of 10-12 different Austrian/German Christmas cookies!

Can you describe your favorite veggie hoagie? Does it also use marinated tofu strips or something else for the filling? I guess the reason I thought of it as a blend of Philly and Bahn Mi traditions is that I don't think I've seen something like this out here in Banh Mi places--i.e. the use of marinated tofu strips (which I interpreted as a 'sub' for cheesesteak strips), and toasted hoagie rolls. Also, while Banh Mi are popular out here, there isn't an indigenous hoagie tradition like there is in Philadelphia so perhaps I romatically imagined that there might be a bit of blending or that the local populace might take to it in a different way b/c of the earlier traditions. But yeah, besides the toasted hoagie roll at the reviewed restaurant, I suppose there isn't much difference from other Banh Mi.

You're correct; sorry for the error. The article is signed by Miriam Morgan.

I just made these for the first time last week! My mom had fulfilled a request of mine to bring back an Indianerkrapfen pan from Austria during her last visit. It is a special pan with hemispherical indentations; each cake uses ~ 2-3 Tbs of batter. The little individual 'puffs' or cakes come out perfectly round on one side and that is the side that gets covered w/chocolate glaze. The recipe I used also had a thin layer of apricot glaze on the inside of the chocolate-glazed portion.

Is the sometime miscommunication restricted to American tourists? To what extent do similar misunderstandings occur with British visitors, other Europeans, Asians or others from around the world? edited to add: I realize this is slightly OT from the original thread, but am truly curious if some of the cultural differences with respect to food and dining are as apparent with other visitors to France and/or if they are perceived differently by the French.

Did I misspell it? It's a fruit. Up here in New York, I'm used to having it in milkshakes. ← No, a bit of googling shows that it is the correct spelling. I just had never heard of it before and had no idea even that it was a fruit! Thank you. clcik

Thank you for these wonderful reviews and descriptions of your dinners, sneakeater. It is posts and threads like these that are hastening my desire to visit Mexico as soon as I can. The dessert you described as "mamey creme brulee with a carnation petal jelly" sounds incredible. I love the smell of aromatic carnations with their spicy notes of cloves. Sorry if this is a completely silly question, but what does the "mamey" descriptor for the creme brulee mean?

A friend has loaned me her copy of Grace Young's "Breath of a Wok" which came out last year. It looks pretty good but I wonder if any one has comments from experience in using it over the last year? Thanks in advance!

It is probablly part of the thread Beanie linked above, but there is a detailed recipe for making canneles in Paula Wolfert's "Slow Mediterranean Cooking".

I have had Sachertorte at the Hotel Sacher but it has been too long ago for me to remember the details on their version. My mom and I have both made it, successfully to my taste, though. The versions I've made have all used an apricot glaze layer and good quality chocolate for the glaze. No excuse for low quality chocolate if that was the case, but it is by design a rather dry cake, especially by US standards. It is highly recommended as well as traditional to have it with a heaping spoon of Schlagsahne (whipped cream) and coffee. To whit, I just found this quote in Rick Rodger's "Kaffehause": "The Sachertorte is a refined, elegant combination of chocolate flavors, complemented by a compulsory mound of Schlag. The whipped cream is an important part of the picture, as it moistens the frankly firm cake layers. Every bite of Sachertorte is supposed to be dipped in the whipped cream." Again, no excuse for poor chocolate but some lackluster experiences would certainly have been enhanced by having whipped cream with it. Bold text added by me

A recent review: click Fu-Wah Mini Market 810 S. 47th St. 215-729-2993 These sound great; a potentially excellent example of new creations made by blending new and local traditions. Has anyone tried these yet? I get to Philly sporadically but may need to try making something like this at home beforehand.

Another review on Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino. The asian-inspired accents on the appetizers and desserts sound very interesting. Did anyone have the signature cotton candy for dessert or the Kobe Beef? Here is the link to a recent SF Chron (M. Bauer) review: click Alexander's Steakhouse 10330 N. Wolfe Road (near Interstate 280), Cupertino; (408) 446-2222. Lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday; dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, until 9 p.m. Sunday. Full bar. Reservations and credit cards accepted. Free parking lot. Other appetizers and salads mentioned: Minced lobster and shrimp dumplings ($12) on top of peas and a mince of cucumbers and beets, bound with a light curry creme fraiche. A stack of crunchy sweetbreads ($13) with roasted salsify and a mince of shiitakes, with dabs of soy mustard and black truffle vinaigrette. Salads: roasted grape and endive ($10) Caesar ($8). Beet salad ($9), a mix of thin slices of golden beets and a dice of red beets with Sonoma dry Jack Iceberg salad ($8), with blue cheese and creamy blue cheese dressing

I hesitate to post a question b/c your schedule sounds pretty full right now... Maybe Soba will consider leaving the blog open for an extra half day??? My question was about the three different slow food conviviums you belong to. You mentioned the "food professional" group and I was wondering if you could describe the other two a bit as well. Thanks again! Looking forward to other goat roast pix if they make it in! Good luck with your busy day as well.

I made a great turkey soup last night--turkey mushroom barley soup. I adapted this recipe from the net: click 5 tbsp. butter, divided 1/2 c. chopped onion 1/2 c. chopped celery 1/2 c. sliced carrots 1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms 2 qts. chicken broth (or turkey) 1 1/2 c. chunked turkey (broiled) breast 1/2 c. pearled barley 1/2 tsp. tarragon, dried 1/2 tsp. basil, dried Salt and pepper to taste 3 tbsp. flour 2 tbsp. chopped parsley In a large pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms until tender. Pour in broth. Add barley, tarragon, and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes. Cool slightly. In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter (3 tablespoons). Add flour and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly (roux); whisk roux into soup. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer 10 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley. 6-8 servings. I added 2 split thai chils after the vegetables were sauteed and I substituted fresh parsley and thyme for the other herbs. Also made it into a light cream soup by blending in ~ 1 cup of milk with a little half and half to the roux before adding it to the soup. This is definately going into my files to be made again next year--great flavor and lots of vegetables. edited: I just added my adapted recipe to egullet here.

Turkey Mushroom Barley Soup Serves 6 as Main Dish. This recipe puts turkey meat and turkey stock made after roasting a turkey to good use. The soup can be made as a creamless or light cream soup. I really like the version with milk. 5 T butter, divided 1/2 c chopped onion 1/2 c chopped celery 1/2 c sliced carrots 1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms 2 serrano or thai chilis, split lengthwise 2 qt turkey broth 1-1/2 c chunked cooked turkey 1/2 c pearled barley leaves from 1 medium sprig of thyme 3 T chopped fresh parsley Salt and pepper to taste 3 T flour 1 c whole milk or blend of whole milk and light cream (optional) In a large pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms until tender. Add in split chiles, thyme and parsley and cook for a few more minutes. Pour in broth and add barley. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes; then add in cooked turkey. In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter (3 tablespoons). Add flour and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly to make a roux.. Whisk roux into soup if making a creamless version. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer 10 minutes. To make a light cream version, slowly whisk milk into roux to blend; then add this to soup. Heat for 10 min but do not boil. Keywords: Soup, Easy, Turkey, Lunch, Dinner, American ( RG1522 )

Hi Chardgirl, thank you for all the wonderful photos and commentary. I loved seeing some of the mole prep. At your big cookout on Sunday how was the mole served? Was is a sauce for the goat or some other meat or was it served on its own? Was it warm enough to sit outside down there or did you have to squeeze inside? (I was up in Berkeley for most of the day and it was crystal clear but pretty nippy there!)

Leite's Culinaria just released their choices for the top 20 food and cookbooks of 2005 here. The newsletter also mentioned that 456 fewer cooking and food books were published in 2005 vs 2004 (according to Amazon). Washoku by Elizabeth Andoh (Ten Speed Press) was chosen the best the cookbook of the year. It is a cookbook on traditional Japanese cooking. Special mention of Stephen Shaw and Turning the Tables too! Also: Here are a list of the books. Some have already been discussed and recommended by contributors to this thread and others are new mentions. Washoku (top choice overall) by Elizabeth Andoh (Ten Speed Press) Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka with Christopher Styler (Artisan) The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer (Hyperion) The Perfectionist by Rudolph Chelminski (Gotham) Tapas by José Andres with Richard Wolfe (Clarkson Potter) Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin with Teri Gelber (Knopf) The Silver Spoon (Phaidon Press) Robbing the Bees by Holley Bishop (Free Press) Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook by Susan Spungen (Morrow) Nobu Now by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (Clarkson Potter) Molto Italiano by Mario Batali (Ecco) Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless (W.W. Norton) Baking Handbook by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter) Homegrown Pure and Simple by Michel Nischan with Mary Goodbody (Chronicle) Julie & Julia by Julie Powell (Little, Brown) Chocolate Chocolate by Lisa Yockelson (Wiley) Cheese by Max Mccalman and David Gibbons (Clarkson Potter) The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman (Broadway Books) The All-American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett (Houghton Mifflin) Any comments on some of the new mentions?