Around the World in the Hetzel Kitchen

You didn't really think I could do Belgium without waffles, did you?  The website  I linked to last time had a recipe, and we have a waffle maker.  Perfect combination! For once, I had all of the ingredients the recipe called for.  At least when I halved it, which, can you believe it, is what I did.  I had even recently acquired a flour sifter via Kohl's cash.  Perfectly situated. Originally the plan was to do this all in one day, but later decided that the waffles would be better as brunch the next day.  Mostly, you mix a lot of things.  I got smart and actually used an electric mixer for this one.  See?  I learn from my mistakes.  Sometimes. My egg separating skills have improved dramatically. Look at those peaks! Shiney new sifter.  Now someone has to tell me how to clean these things after the fact. I tried to get a picture of sifting in action, but it was too blurry. After that it is really just "make...

Location : Western Europe between France and the Netherlands Area : Over 30,000 sq km, 140th in the world          About the size of Maryland Geography : Most Western European capitals are within 1000 km of Brussels Population : Almost 10.5 million, 80th in the world Capital : Brussels, which is also the seat of the EU and NATO Major ethnic groups : Fleming and Walloon Chief of State : King Albert II Belgian Cuisine : The two things that get their own heading in Wikipedia are Frites and Beer.  I like where this is heading. It was not hard to find out that the national dish of Belgium was moules frites - mussels and fries.  However, with the increasingly in-the-way dislike of seafood, that wasn't going to work.  I briefly considered just making them for Kevin, but I wasn't sure how expensive they were, plus it would be a lot of work.  I did know, however, that I wanted frites.  Delicious delicious frites. The fi...

History : Formerly a part of the USSR.  Retained closer ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet states did. Location : East of Poland Area : Over 200,000 sq km, 85th in the world           Slightly smaller than Kansas Coast : None, landlocked Environment : Southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from Chernobyl Population : Over 9.5 million; 88th in the world Capital : Minsk Fertility rate : 1.26 children/woman; 215/224 in the world Cuisine : Very similar to Poland and Lithuania, Belarusians were called "potato-eaters" in the Soviet Union because of their prevalence Leader : Their president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, has been called the last dictator in Europe.  As I was researching recipes for them, there was an article in the Washington Post where they interviewed him.  He sounds absolutely crazy. It wasn't hard finding, at a high-level, what I wanted to make for Belarus.  Everywhere I lo...