Italian Hunter's Chicken (Pollo Alla Cacciatora)

3 lb chicken pieces

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

5 oz mushrooms, quartered

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup white wine

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup black olives

1/2 cup capers

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter. Brown the chicken on both sides. Set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the drippings, cook for 3 minutes, until onion is soft. Add the bell peppers and mushrooms, cook for 3 minute. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, vinegar, tomato paste, olives and capers. season wits salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven. Stir a little, to make sure it is covered with the tomato mixture. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Add parsley and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with pasta.

Adapted from THE 1000 BEST RECIPES by Bay Books

Greek Milk Pie (γαλατόπιτα)

Galatopita is a custard-like Greek dessert

5 cups milk

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup fine semolina

3 eggs

1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a large saucepan, bring milk to a simmer. Add butter, sugar and cinnamon. When butter is melted add the semolina, cook until, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens. Take the saucepan of the heat and let cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Add to the semolina mixture, a little at a time. Beat well to incorporate.

Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 40-60 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Remove and let cool. Serve sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered sugar (or both).

Link: http://seeminglygreek.blogspot.com/2010/12/galatopita-me-kanela.html

Beef Wellington

This is an elegant yet surprisingly easy British recipe 

3 lb fillet of beef

4 tbsp butter

4 oz mushrooms, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

6 oz liver pate

Salt and pepper

14 oz puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tbsp horseradish 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Rub the fillet with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large, oven-proof, skillet and sear the meet on all sides until brown. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the meat from the oven and let cool completely.

Melt 2 tbsp butter in the skillet, add mushrooms and garlic, cook for 5 minutes until soft. Cool slightly. Add the liver pate to the mushrooms and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Roll out the puff pastry, spread the pate mixture down the middle, and place the fillet on top. Fold up the pastry, brush the edges with beaten egg and press the edges together, to seal. Place the wrapped meat, seam down, on a baking sheet, cut a few slits in the dough. Use pastry trimmings to cut shapes to decorate the top. Brush with beaten egg.Cook for 50-60 minutes in the oven. If pastry starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

Allow the meat to stand for 15 minutes in a warm place, before serving.

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and horseradish. spoon the sauce over the sliced beef.

Adapted from THE BEST OF TRADITIONAL BRITISH COOKING by Christopher Trotter, Annette Yates, Georgina Campbell

Brandy Snaps

These  sweet and crisp cookies are a popular desert in England and Ireland.

2 oz butter

2 tbsp golden syrup or dark corn syrup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.. Line a cookie sheet with baking paper or non-stick foil.

In small saucepan, melt the butter, golden syrup and brown sugar over low heat. Once melted remove from the heat. Add the flour and ginger. Mix well; do not over beat.

Drop batter by rounded teaspoons 5 inches apart onto the cookie sheet. (prepare only 3 cookies at a time). Bake for 6 minuter or until bubbly and lightly browned.  Let stand 30 seconds on cookie sheet, then wrap each cookie around the greased handle of a wooden spoon and allow to set. Then transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Before serving fill cooled snaps with whipped cream.

Adapted from  THE ESSENTIAL FINGERFOOD COOKBOOK 

Dutch Mashed Potatoes And Eggs (Pik in Het Potje)

2 lb potatoes, peeled

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2/3 cup butter, softened

5 hard-boiled eggs

1 tbsp vinegar

5 tbsp warm water

Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water. Mas and add the milk, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp. butter. Beat until well blended. Cut eggs into large pieces and stir into the potatoes. 

Melt the remaining butter and whisk in the vinegar and water. add more salt and pepper if needed. 

Pour the sauce over the mashed potatoes. Serve hot.

Adapted from LET'S GO DUTCH AGAIN by Johanna (van der Zeijst) Bates and Jan Walrabenstein

Emperor's Pancake (Kaiserschmarren)

Kaiserschmarren is a very popular dessert in Austria. Translated it means "Emperor's rubbish" or "Emperor's mishmash". Legend says it was created for  Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I.

2 eggs, separated

2 tbsp sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup raisins

4 tbsp unsalted butter

Powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until creamy. Whisk in the milk. Add the flour and rasins, beat until well blended.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg white until stiff. Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Pour the batter in to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom. Flip the pancake and cook for 3 minutes more. With two forks or spatula pull the pancake into peaces. Remove to a plate , sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with apple sauce or stewed fruit.

Adapted from BEST OF AUSTRIAN CUISINE by Elisabeth Mayer-Browne

Fish Pie

Rich and creamy classic British fish pie

1 lb potatoes

1 lb white fish fillets(cod, haddock, flounder)

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 cups milk

Salt and pepper

4 oz butter

8 oz peeled raw shrimp

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/3 cup flour

Boil the potatoes in salted water. Once cooked mash with 2 oz butter until smooth and creamy.

Simmer the fish with bay leaves, salt and pepper, in milk until the fish flakes easily. Drain and reserve the milk. Flake the fish and put in a baking dish.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, melt 2 oz butter, cook the shrimp until it turns pink. Remove the shrimp to the baking dish.  In the same butter cook onions and celery until soft. Stir in the flour. Gradually pour in the reserved milk stirring constantly until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce  over the fish and shrimp. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Adapted from GREAT BRITISH COOKING:A WELL-KEPT SECRET by Jane Garmey