thepassionatecook

Tapas - a contribution to WTSIM

A little later than anticipated, I finally got round to organising my tapas extravaganza, all in honour of Andrew's WTSIM event this month. And if you haven't had the time to send in your entry yet, you should know that he has gracefully extended the deadline - no excuses now!

I am not sure why, but up until now, I had this immense fear of tortilla failure... and I don't even think it was due to scaremongering, it's more the fact that all the Spaniards I know (and even those who aren't Spanish, but are in love with Spanish food) seem to be extremely opinionated or simply picky when it comes to a tortilla española or Spanish omelett. Whenever I have eaten tortilla in the presence of Spanish friends, I have never heard a word of praise for it, it was always "too dry", "overcooked", "bland", "rubbery" or "just not how they make it here or there". So to get a tortilla right, I was assuming, you needed immense skill and hundreds of years of experience. After last week's first attempts, I can safely say that this is not the case, a natural talent or beginner's luck, maybe (patting herself on shoulder), but I believe to have found out that the quintessential factor is that it must be boiling hot outside so you can stand there over the hot stove, sweat running down your forehead, spine and just about everywhere imaginable and then you can make a pretty darn tasty tortilla just like a Spanish mama would.

When I called my friend Sonia to ask for rough guidance on how to make one (I had seen her do it a million times and never actually jotted down any notes), I was brave enough to pass an idea past her.

I: "So, what if I wanted to give the tortilla a little twist, you know, more than just potato and egg?"
She: "Well, some people put onion in."
(Me, thinking: well, that's a bit plain still.)
Me (actually saying out loud): "I was thinking more along the lines of feta, chilli and parsley".
She (not saying anything for a moment, just gasping along the lines of that's heresy, and if the tortilla really needed it, don't you think that 46,661,950 people would have gone and done something about it? And who the f*** do you think you are anyway, you bloody foreigner, to think you can change our culinary traditions just because you feel like it?)

In her defense, I have never heard her swear, this last bit is completely made up, but it might well have been racing through her mind. Understandably so.

Undeterred, I decided to go for the "adventurous, but still authentic" version that involved some chopped onions and then I did the unimaginable. I made a second lot, defiling the graves of my dear friend's ancestors by putting in some diced feta, chopped chilli and parsley... and you know what, my guests (admittedly completely ignorant when it comes to Spanish food) preferred that second version. But I didn't leave it at that, I had to get Sonia's opinion as well - she praised my traditional tortilla, saying it was tasty and moist and everything you'd expect, she wasn't raving about the eccentric version, which is just as well... but her kids ate it without complaints and they're pretty fussy and strongheaded usually, so I take this as a point in my favour.

I also made some gambas al ajillo, always a winner in my book with loads of garlic and chilli - although I love my prawns, it is the juices I make this for - brilliant for mopping up with some home-made sourdough! Inspired by Sonia's home region of the Basque country and their own twist on tapas (which the call pintxos... don't you love that name?) I made some pintxos of sauteed garlic & herb mushrooms with prawns. And again, although the prawns add a lovely colour and give it that little extra in the looks department, I am just as happy just with the mushrooms fried in a pan, drizzled with garlic and oil, then deglazed with sherry vinegar.

All in all, I made a vow to make tapas more often and especially the tortilla, which is not that hard to make at all - and seeing that it's one of my daughter's favourite foods, I better indulge her with it more often. Do try them all and see what you think: if you have no ties to Spain other than the odd vacation, try the "adventurous" version - I find it light, refreshing and super yummy. I also served this as part of a picnic spread at the Royal Henley Regatta and it went down a treat. It would be a shame to discard such a winning recipe just on the grounds of it not being entirely original, I hope you'll agree!

STOP PRESS:
The deadline for WTSIM has just been extended, as Jeanne, Andrew and myself were roasting in the sun at the Royal Henley Regatta on Saturday, we figured it's been hot enough out there to give you and ourselves a break... check details on SpittoonExtra - no excuses now not to indulge in a tapas evening!

Mango, chilli & coriander salsa

OK, it's official - summer's here! I didn't want to curse the good weather we've been having by frolicking about, but I can't hold back any longer... expect some rain tomorrow ;-)

With summer comes the start of the barbecue season, although to be honest, I send my husband out to grill my steak regardless of weather... I keep telling myself (and him) that he's a man, you know? He can take it! I love my barbecues - but I am always looking for new ways to spice them up a bit... not coming from a culture where BBQs are very popular, it's not like I can give you my family's trusted recipes or fall back on something my gran scribbled onto greaseproof paper or a papyrus roll or anything. There's one, maybe two things we Austrians typically grill and one of them is sausages - which are then consumed, invariably, with ketchup and mustard. Mayo? Salsa? Guaca? Never even heard of it! You'll get garlic butter with your pork chops if you're lucky!

So I either have to consult cookbooks and foodblogs or get creative. This is an expression of the latter, I believe, made a while ago when the first rays of sun decided to grace us with their presence, just enough to take off our woolly hats and mittens. Perfect with pork and chicken alike, it's a refreshing salsa with a bit of a kick, both from the lime and chilli... you can add a diced avocado as well, if you feel like it, in any case,  consuming in pairs is advised as it'll be difficult to find a snogging-partner after that much onion - don't say I didn't warn you!

WTSIM REMINDER:
Andrew of SpittoonExtra ist hosting the June edition of "Waiter, there's something in my..." and the theme is TAPAS. I know this comes a bit late, but I've got a life, you know, and it hasn't been easy recently... Go on, get your thinking cap on or trawl your archives, I am sure you'll find something that qualifies! I shall be posting my own creation/s very soon!

Mini-poppodums with creamy chicken tikka

Excuse the quality of the picture, but this was taken at a catering I did last December - when you're standing in a crammed kitchen, working hard at feeding a very hungry mob, have got barely a centimetre of free kitchen worktop, yet 12 different types of finger food to plate and assemble, you obviously can't put your spot lights up or think much about aperture and all those fiddly photography things that I don't understand anyway... a snapshot will have to do.

I first came up with the idea for these canapés when I had a cocktail party to do where the guests/hosts weren't very adventurous eaters, even agreeing on the menu was a bit of a struggle - don't like egg, don't like fish, don't eat nuts, don't eat vegetables much... that sort of thing. And as if that wasn't enough, there was also a gluten-intolerant guest at the event, so I had to limit any wheat-containing bases to a minimum.

Poppodums are great in this situation, as they're made from chickpea, black gram or lentil flour and in England, even the pickiest and unadventurous eaters will love their Tikka Masala. My version is not truly a Tikka Masala, but it's got all the main flavours, namely cardamom and ginger, it's just a lighter version as it is marinated in yoghurt and spices,then grilled. You can add some tomato paste to it, if you want, but I chose not to, for aesthetic reasons more than anything, and they don't need it for taste.

These poppodums with chicken tikka have become a standard in my fingerfood repertoire since then - they're incredibly easy to prepare and always go flying off the trays... that last time, the girls who were serving never managed to get to the far end of the room, so much were people crowding over them. Sure sign of a delicious canapé, don't you think?

Warm chocolate soup with vanilla ice cream

As I was preparing my contribution for last month's round of WTSIM, I found myself cooking rather a lot of delicious bistro-style recipes... and the love affair continues! If you're craving comfort food at the moment, here's a wonderful dessert recipe for you to try. It may come as a bit of a surprise to you that I should post a recipe of chocolate soup, seeing that I have rather horrid memories of chocolate soup being served at the now defunct Angela Hartnett's at the Connaught ...

This is a completely different affair, though, and it's almost an insult to make it appear in one article with aforementioned culinary catastrophe. It's a wonderfully light-weight, yet thoroughly indulging bake that reminds more of a soufflé than anything else, topped with some icecream or creme fraiche and maybe some fruits scattered over it, this is impossible to resist, no matter what the weather.

"Waiter! There's something in my... bistro food!" - the round-up

Come into our cosy little Bistro and enjoy an evening of simple, yet satisfying food in the company of friends... one of this month's participants found the perfect description of bistro food for me, writing it was "where restaurant and home cooking meet". That really hits the nail on the head for me, whenever I rave about one of the great bistros I have discovered in France or elsewhere over the years, more often than not I will come out saying "this tasted just like there was a French grand-mèrebehind the stove".

Bistro food is more than just food, and it's very different from your poncey restaurant experience - you can enjoy food in a relaxing and comforting environment, be transported back to your childhood days and feel you're being spoiled by your mum... at least that's how I experience it. If I don't get that extra feel-good factor, then the bistro is not worth writing home about.

So, sit down at the table with all the wonderful bloggers who contributed to this round, relax, maybe a glass of wine in hand, and savour the menu we've created for you. If you don't feel hungry after that, you might want to go see your doctor - the dishes here sure had me salivating!

Starters

Capital Salad. My apologies for an omission - Gourmet Chick brings us a wonderful salad: what could be more perfect than slightly warm potatoes, artichokes, fried bacon and soft-boiled eggs? The perfect food for those "in-between" days when you don't really know what to wear... cold, warm? I don't know - let's have both! Sorry for missing you out! Your recipe will be the first I am re-creating... tonight, with some crusty sourdough!

Ham hock peas and leeks. Feast with Bron claims she only made this because the name of the dish made her laugh... but can you imagine anything more decadent than this hearty, meaty, silky soup-type dish that leaves you plenty of juices to mop up with a crusty country loaf? Enjoy as a starter or a week-day dinner, you won't be disappointed!

Salade Provencale. Apart from being a very amusing read, A Lot On My Plate has come up with another classic of bistro fare. She took the challenge seriously, researching the "true" ingredients for this ever-so-popular salad, only to find that they're hotly debated! A refreshing and satisfying recipe she has come up with, though, so Chapeau to her!

Warm chicken & potato salad. An unusual dressing using elderflower cordial brought to you by co-host SpittoonExtra makes this a very seasonal dish, although it's sure to please the crowds all year round. We're also spoilt with a description of what would make his perfect bistro... one I can share without hesitation.

Vegetarian
A selection of dishes that can serve as a starter for omnivores and a main for vegetarians who are often not spoilt for choice in a traditional bistro!

Red onion, feta & olive tarte. A cook keen to indulge and stay healthy at the same time, Green Gourmet Giraffe brings us a light tarte that can either serve as a starter or a vegetarian main (of which there are too few on bistro menus the world over...). A flaky dream of puff pastry, a tasty filling and a crunchy spring salad - recipe for success!

Tomato Tarte Tatin. Just to prove that even tartes can be light and summery, here's a savoury version of that eternal bistro classic. The Ginger Gourmand serves this as a starter or a vegetarian main, the pastry is spiced up with dijon mustard and cheese... a wonderful flavour-kick to complement the sweetness of the baked tomatoes!

Artichoke & chevre salad: Recreating a dish she has fond memories of from a recent trip to Paris, Ambrosia Quest presents us with this light, tangy and delicious, expertly presented salad of goat's cheese and artichokes with a light lemon & hazelnut oil dressing, a perfect, summery starter for a bistro meal.

Mains

Beef olive with pearl barley risotto & grilled vegetables. Caterer and private chef by trade, The Cotswold food year teaches us all a lesson or two in bistro cooking: it's not just this month's contribution that I will most certainly be recreating soon, you'll find a whole list of bistro dishes he's been serving over the years... a treasure chest of recipes, if you ask me!

Bistro burgers with bacon & creamy honey-dijon sauce. The Meal Planner's contribution may not be a bistro classic per se, but burgers are a fall-back plan for many establishments that cater for families. It's basically the traditional steak-frites, but served in a way that allows you to eat it with your hands... perfect for the kids, as it means the parents can enjoy their own meals without having to cut their offsprings'!

Bœuf à la flamande. Belgium has long been over-looked as a gourmet destination in my view, their food is so similar in style to French cooking and they love to indulge even more if that's possible... beer being a main ingredient in anything from mussels to stew - that's what they call "à la flamande". And you can't go wrong with Hard Spear's hearty stew!

Bœuf Bourguignon. Food & Family tries her hand at fusion cooking as she happily marries a traditional French beef stew with a very British way of serving it: parmesan-scented dumplings baked on top "designed to fill up hungry farm labourers, soak up the stew juices and make the meat go further, distract attention from the fact that there is hardly any meat in the stew at all." I bet you she wasn't greedy with what she put into her casserole, though!

Skirt steak with sauteed shallots. As a graduate of the Cordon Bleu, TasteFood knows a thing or two about traditional French food. Her Bavette aux échalottes brings back good memories of growing up in Europe and bistro fare is their favourite cuisine for home cooking... not surprisingly!

Slow-roast rib of beef with shallots a la creme. And another beef dish coming from your host. Slow-cooked so the meat literally falls off the bone, a creamy butternut squash & celeriac mash and shallots poached in port wine and cream... wonderfully comforting and moreish!

Sides

Leeks with mustard and crème fraîche. An ode to leeks comes from Petit Pois - this quintessentially Northern French vegetable is a perfect starter when steamed and served with a tangy vinaigrette, in her recipe using mustard and cream, they are an ideal accompaniment to any dish you could possibly find on a bistro menu... except, maybe, the mousse au chocolat!

Desserts
Blueberry fool with pistachios. What surprised me in this round is that so many people found it hard to come up with something fitting the theme, yet we are sadly lacking desserts... what about mousse au chocolat, tarte tatin or crème caramel??? My friend and co-host Cook Sister! is the only one who stepped up to the mark and offers us a sweet treat with her wonderfully refreshing and very pretty blueberry fool. And I might treat you with a very yummy chocolate soup next week, so stay tuned!!!

As announced, we have a give-away for this round, a copy of the wonderful dish"today's special" by Anthony Demetre, reviewed here. The lucky winner (by draw out of a casserole, biensur) is The Ginger Gourmand, please email me your address and I'll post the book without delay!

Spaghetti with avocado & cashew pesto

Gone are the days when all I had to think about was what to stuff my face with... and more often than not, as a student and/or single this either means how to secure the next treat or how to cheat your way to a four-course meal for the £2.50 that's left of your monthly allowance after a boozy night out with your friends.

Then you grow up, have a family and all of a sudden you become concerned about what they stuff their faces with... for me this began when I was pregnant with my daughter and gave up vegetarianism to be sure the growing baby would get all the nutrients she needed - eating well in pregnancy is difficult enough, overcomplicating it by sticking to a vegetarian diet didn't seem like a good idea.

When they grow up, you realise just how much of a role model you are. Since they learn mostly by observation, it's no good trying to drill them to "eat yer greens" if you yourself shudder at the sight of a tenderstem broccoli or sprint faster than a runner bean at the sight of a vegetable curry. You have to lead by example. Which is not too hard for me, given that I like all vegetables, some more some less, but there's only one I loathe with a passion: beetroot.
But I get side-tracked.

Where was I? Oh yes, the importance of eating your greens. You might have taken that on board already, when you realise that even the latest wisdom in nutritional science has a sell-by date - what used to be considered healthy in my teens is no longer so... my Mum, for example, used to insist that we should eat rye bread always, yet years later it emerged that it contains just as few nutrients as white. I felt like I had been cheated out of years of eating crunchy baguettes and buttery croissants... and my poor mother sought solace in the tasteless wholewheat cakes and no-fat spelt muffins that were so popular in the Eighties - and with popular I mean that everybody made them, but nobody actually ate them.

Another such wisdom that will haunt me forever is one that my gran almost beat into me: babies need to eat spinach at least once a day! That tender leaf might have been nutritionally valuable when my father grew up after the war, but it then emerged that spinach attracts heavy metal like nothing else... it can actually be quite toxic - so another theory went out of the window. And don't get me started on the whole cholesterol issue and that unbearable margarine!!!!

The current nutritional buzzwords in my part of the world are melatonin and fatty acids. Young mothers should be particularly familiar with the former, as it is the reason for babies having crying sessions in the evenings, which can be quite debilitating for the poor parents, but it serves a purpose. It encourages the shedding of melatonin in the mother, a hormone that plays an important role in the sleep cycle and makes babies (and adults alike) sleepy. So the baby might cry at first, but after being fed, it'll sleep better. And this is the reason why we now can buy milk in the UK that has been fortified with melatonin.
It seems to me that these days, you don't even need to be concerned about what you're feeding your kids anymore because manufacturers add nutrients to everything: added calcium and vitamin D in your yoghurt, vitamins in your cereal, melatonin in your milk, folic acid in bread and possibly now tap water (!), omega3 in your smoothie... if people ate regular diets, instead of gobbling down burgers, sandwiches, chips and soft drinks all the time, they wouldn't need all that! But it looks like we're on the best way to eating astronaut food in a few decades!

So here's how to add some oleic acid to your diet, said to help prevent breast cancer. Apparently it also helps with concentration (and as everything these days is said to help you to a higher IQ - looks like parents don't listen until you tell us that our children are going to be as dumb as a stump unless they eat it!), enough reason for me to bring it into my kids' diets more. These spaghetti are a sure hit, as apart from the health benefits, they're also incredibly easy to make - if you want, you can even use store-bought pesto rather than making your own, but I guess it's worth going the extra mile given that it doesn't take more than ten minutes!

So even if I should find out a few years down the line that those poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs for short) raising your IQ is all a big hoax and our bread producers start adding the next best thing to their food, I'll still be making this quick and healthy pasta sauce - after all, it's all about the taste with me, you know? And this one sure is a keeper!

Slow-roast rib of beef

If you have been following this blog over the five years of its existence, you will have noticed that I am a bit of a meat snob. Either that, or I am keeping it very secret that I am actually consuming cuts other than beef fillet. I very rarely buy anything else, mainly because I tend to lean towards dishes that are quick to make and there's no better cut than a fillet for that. Slap it on the barbecue and you'll have a hard time getting your sides done by the time your steaks are a good medium...

The only times when I buy different cuts are when I am cooking traditional Austrian dishes which favour the cheaper bits of the cow or pig... or when I am spoilt for time on a weekend and can venture into slow-cooking. For this month's edition of "Waiter! There's something in my..." I chose the theme Bistro Food, since I have been cooking a lot of that lately - the immediate stress of exams over and the weather not always being tops, slow roasts are a perfect choice for a weekend cooking extravaganza. The reality is that this needs very little preparation, then you can leave it unattended in the oven for a good three hours... so it's not even that labout-intensive, even if it spans out over the afternoon.

The original recipe for this is from a much-used book written by Anthony Demetre: Today's Special (a copy of which is up for grabs for one lucky participant in this round) - as in his restaurants Wild Honey and Arbutus, this talented chef is reviving the forgotten cuts, exactly those pieces that I usually wouldn't consider buying, simply because I don't know enough about them. When I ventured into my butcher's the other day, I discovered that I wasn't alone... the short ribs of beef (Jacob's Ladder) is apparently something that is simply not cut in this country, the alternative I wanted (Osso Buco) is something that they haven't cut in 25 years! People just don't tend to ask for it. Being good as he is, he did suggest a great alternative (rib of beef) and promised he'd do the traditional osso buco cut for me if I called in advance.

This was by far the tastiest roast I have had in a while, the meat literally fell off the bone and I had a hard time resisting the temptation to wipe off the juices of my fellow diners' plates with a slice of my home-made sourdough... with a creamy butternut squash & celeriac puree, some garlicky spinach and the cream & port shallots from the same book, this was as perfect as a relaxed dinner gets!

WTSIM update: seeing how late I am in submitting my entry, I will extend the deadline for this month's event... I realise that those of you enjoying the glorious weather like us here in London might not feel in the mood for bistro food either. If you would like to participate, please send me your entry by the end of this week!!!

Sweet potato & rocket frittata bites with feta and mint pesto

(photograph courtesy of Cook Sister!)

Trawling through folders on my computer that have been lying dormant for a long time, I came across this picture taken at an event I catered for last year. It had the most ecclectic mix of people and some pretty amazing ABBA costumes... not to speak of the delectable canapes, of course ;-)

These frittata bites are incredible for cocktail parties because they're easily made, need next to no work with regards to assembly and they can be made well in advance. I also love this dish in its non-party version, which I often make to get more protein into my diet. Eggs are incredibly good for you of course, dispelling the myth that they raise your cholesterol, studies have shown that it doesn't, in fact, if anything, it raises your good cholesterol and lowers the bad. Not to speak of the minerals, essential fatty acids and vitamins the humble egg contains, especially B-Vitamins, a great source of energy!

This version with red onion and sweet potato is such a healthy treat it's almost unreal - make this on the weekend to serve as a weekday lunch, a quick dinner when you're home late from work and have had no time to shop or enjoy at breakfast - you can even enjoy it in a breadroll if you must! It keeps for a good few days in the fridge and if you pep it up with some feta and mint oil, maybe a salad on the side, you've got yourself a lunchtime treat the whole office will envy you for!

QUICK REMINDER:
The Bistro Food edition of WTSIM is in its last week, please send your contributions to  by the end of the month!

Lady Maria's Schokogugelhupf

I solemnly vow not to watch the Eurovision again. I do. Unless Jonathan Ross presents the show. Or Austria qualifies - both very unlikely events indeed.

Moving on, let's speak about nicer things. Things that lighten up everybody's face, that fill the house with warmth and make the birds appear to be singing overtime.

Like when Lady Maria is visiting. She's not really of royal descent, my Mum, she just happened to marry a normal sort of guy (Lord Rudi) who went on to come into the possession of some land up in Scotland and is therefore, by default, a "Laird" - which, translated to English, means "Lord". So it follows that she is a "Lady". Not they they have been invited to have tea with HRH, nor do they own a lavish mansion in Belgravia or Mayfair (or anywhere else, for that matter) that I could benefit from...

Whenever she graces us with her presence, my sons demand that she bake with them - and really, there's only one cake they will make, which has become my sons' absolute favourite and is about the only thing we ever bake when we bake together. By popular demand. It takes the traditional shape of a Gugelhupf, a plain Bundt, basically. I bring this to playdates and coffee mornings often and everybody is always amazed at how tasty, moist and finger-lickingly good it is. The last time I made it, there were five of us around the table, including two boys who polished off the *entire* cake in a matter of maybe half an hour - and probably only took so long out of politeness.

You know how Austria is known for its patisserie, but most of it, especially the more elaborate creations, is seldom, if ever, made at home. Every (good) Austrian housewife's repertoire (at least in my Mum's generation) would also include the famous Sachertorte, the  Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) with home-made fillo-pastry, a variety of tray bakes typically with fruits of the season, Black Forest cake, Malakoff Torte (a tarte with almonds, buttercream and sponge fingers), a nut or poppyseed ring, a plaited yeast bread for Easter and a variety of biscuits (incl. Lebkuchen, our version of ginger bread). Nowadays, not many people bother to make their own, so I know very few women (or men) of my age who can master their own strudel. But the Gugelhupf is something everybody can make, it's easy, quick and therefore the most recognised form of cake in the country. Delicious as all its different variations may be, it is therefore also the one form of cake that you're unlikely to find in one of the many cafés in Vienna - as everybody knows how to make their own, people tend to go for more elaborate patisserie when they go out.

What sets this one apart from your usual chocolate Gugelhupf, which can often turn out to be quite firm in texture and, without artificial additives, incredibly dry, is that it uses real chocolate (rather than cocoa powder) and almost as much ground almonds as flour - giving it that extra moisture. Incredibly easy to make (with a little adult help, this is quite literally child's play), this is one of the best recipes to have up your sleeve and sure to become a favourite in your household, too!

Red lentil koefte

Hello. My name is Johanna and I am a recovering Eurovision addict. Or that's what I thought. I am, in fact, a continuously relapsing Eurovision addict. For much as I growl each year that the voting is rigged, the music is not what it used to be and the whole thing is just farcical, guess where I'll be on the appointed day the following year? In front of some television or other.

We weren't allowed to watch much television when we were growing up, in fact, for large stretches of my life my parents didn't even have a TV... but Eurovision night was when we were allowed to stay up late and watch that abominable show. And it's not even like I could be patriotic and support my own country, because as you may have noticed, Austria only participates about once in a decade (we're just too crap, or maybe our taste in music is too sophisticated... Mozart, Haydn... erm... Falco - you know where I am coming from). So over the years, I have seen some pretty appalling shows, I think I only ever missed one, which was when I was living in Mexico.

I have also experienced these cursed nights in the most surreal of settings: one year, in my early student days, we all dragged sofas out onto the pavement, placed a TV set on a window sill facing outwards (no flatscreen TVs back then, either, it was a whopper of a set which didn't live to see the next morning, as some half-drunk moron tried to adjust the antenna yet again and the thing came crashing down on the pavement) and enjoyed the show al fresco - and tons of passers-by joined in and purused of our generously stocked cool boxes which were, in fact, laundry baskets and cleaning buckets filled with ice cubes.

Another memorable night was in an old, derelict tramway shed transformed into an alternative music venue in a rather seedy part of Vienna - I went there with a friend (female, straight) only to find out (and she might have known that but not let me into her little secret) that it was going to be the largest turn-out of Vienna's gay community. I had the best time of my life: there was a live act of the Geschwister Pfister, a brilliant Swiss comedy act consisting of a husband-and-wife team and her gay brother-in-law... who went on to do the live commentary for the eurovision contest on stage. The whole thing was followed by a dance-off to the hits and flops of past Eurovision years which turned out to be a right hoot!

This year, try as I might, I cannot not watch the event, seeing that we have his royal poofness Graham Norton doing the commentary, plus one of my all-time favourite voices (however much of a waste of talent she will be on that stage) is competing for France... it is, of course, Patricia Kaas. Ever since I found that out, I had long-standing arrangements with my daughter to see the show together, from the comfort of my bed, bag of nachos on my lap, spreading crumbs everywhere (actually, only on my hubby's side because he is a partypo**** and refuses to watch with us). But alas, she has better things to go to, so I will be off to a friend's where my desire to watch the show will not be met with complete disbelief.

The plan is for the two of us to come up with finger food that represents some of the participating countries. While I haven't made my mind up about what I will be making (suggestions welcome), this will be on the menu definitely, as my homage to Turkey. I made these lightly spicy lentil koefte a while back when I started my lofe-affair with Middle Eastern cooking and discovered the beautiful book Turquoise. As for the rest, I am thinking of some mini-quiches (France), a tortilla of sorts (made by my friend who is Spanish), some falafel with hummous (might be able to pass it off as Israeli), some blinis with caviar (Russia), some gravlax with home-made dill & mustard sauce (Sweden)... if you have any suggestions for the more "exotic" countries like Armenia or Lithuania, Rumania or Azerbaijan where, to be honest, I haven't got the faintest idea of their national dishes, please send me some inspiration!!!