Around the World in the Hetzel Kitchen

Kevin and I went to Italy in 2009.  More about that when I actually get to Italy in my regular country cooking.  While we were there we had lots and lots of good food.  Amazing food.  One thing that I particularly remembered was Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Fast forward to our first Valentines Day as a married couple and I wanted to make something delicious.  I looked through my favorite cookbook and found a recipe one for that same Italian dish.  Boom.  Decision made.  It was really good and became a regular item on the menu. (Unfortunately the chocolate cake that Kevin made on that Valentine's Day got knocked off of the counter by the cat.) I highly recommend this cookbook! Before each recipe it has a long description of what the recipe is and how they came to this version.  They try a lot of different things and then taste test them all.  I kinda want that job. Spaghetti alla Carbonara is basically spaghetti noodles in a ...

Last time, we learned that I don't really like things cooked in red wine, especially dry red wine.  That was worrying.  I had already bought all of the ingredients for my other experiment in French cooking.  And that attempt was Coq au Vin.  Chicken.  In red wine.  Gulp. This recipe came from the same cookbook that the delicious crepes did last time, so that was a bonus.  I had made Coq au Vin from another cookbook once, a long time ago.  That was soon after Kevin and I got married, and I know that I have grown a lot in my cooking since then.  It was a adventure I was excited to take on, but I was a bit wary after the beef burgundy.  This is all about trying things and learning though, right?  Right! Like before, we start with bacon. However, much of the rest is different.  This calls for a whole chicken, as well as thyme, parsley, garlic...  There are a good number of spices that get thrown in there.  We a...

Photo courtesy of user Bernard Blanc on flickr. Location : Main part is in Western Europe.  However, five former overseas territories were made part of France proper, and they are in South America, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and Southern Africa. Area : Over 550,000 sq km (main part); 43rd largest in the world          Slightly less than the size of Texas Population : Over 65.5 million; 21st highest in the world Capital : Paris Nuclear Electricity : 53% of total install capacity; 1st in the world Kevin's favorite link about France:  The Complete Military History of France (not for the easily offended) Sources: CIA Factbook This was still while we were in Virginia, so it has been a while.  I apologize for any lack of detail...my memory may have gotten a little fried during all of this travel. I knew that France would be big and important in my cooking travels.  It, unfortunately, also corresponded with the craziness of get...

Photo Courtesy of User didkovskaya on Flickr   Background : Gained independence in 1918 before being forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940. Currency : Adopted the Euro in January 2011.  Bad timing... Location : Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea Area : Over 45,000 sq km; 133rd biggest in the world          Slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined Official Language : Estonian Population : Almost 1.3 million; 156th biggest in the world Capital : Tallinn Economy : Very pro-business, free market government National Anthem : My Native Land, My Pride and Joy; same melody but different lyrics from the Finnish national anthem Source: CIA Factbook I did not e-mail the Estonian embassy for an Estonian recipe.  I didn't even look in my international cookbooks.  Instead, I turned to the one and only Boris.  He is a friend from Madison, aspiring comedian , and his family was from Estonia (videos may not be ...

Brief history : Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of WWI.  Later it was part of Yugoslavia until they declared independence in 1991.  It took four more years to clear out most of the Serb armies. Location : Southeasten Europe, between Bosnia and Slovenia Area : Over 56,500 sq km; 127th largest in the world          Slightly smaller than West Virginia Natural Hazards : Destructive earthquakes Language : Croatian Biggest ethnic group : Croats Population : Almost 4.5 million; 124th most in the world Capital : Zagreb Source: CIA Factbook Croatian cuisine seems to be pretty varied throughout this relatively small country.  There were a lot of dishes to choose from, which was rather exciting.  Goulash was listed, but I have traditionally associated that with Hungary.  Rather than just looking at information about their cuisine, I decided to make my choice based on the recipes themselves. Pasticada ...