Grüß Gott

Over the summer, my family and I took a trip to Austria to visit family. It was so much fun I couldn't believe it. One of the best parts, other than meeting new people, was the food. After hitting one of the big cities, we went to Fleckendorf, a small village where my aunt and uncle live. We arrived at Fleckendorf 11 around three in the afternoon, just in time for tea.

Aunt Luise and I.

Fleckendorf 11.

Just  in time for tea.

In that last picture, you might see a tiny plate filled with tiny red and gold desserts. These are currant cakes, a square of deliciousness that I immediately fell in love with. Aunt Luise modified the recipe for sheet cake, and isn't sure how she did it, but here is her recipe for currant cakes:

Cake:

7 ounces flour

I/2 t. baking powder

3 1/2 ounces butter, cut into sml pieces

3 1/2 ounces sugar

pinch salt

1 egg

Mix together dry ingredients with cold butter until it resembles course meal; I do this using a kitchen machine. Then add egg and mix until dough is formed. Roll dough out to fit springform. It's easiest if you roll out bottom of form and then make long roll and press this to the sides; make sure half the height is covered.

Filling:

3 yolks

3 1/2 ounces sugar

4 1/2 ounces ground almonds

3 egg whites

1 lb red currants

Beat yolks with sugar and 1 tablespoon water til frothy. Add almonds and stiffly beaten egg whites and fold this into yolk mixture Bake 10 minutes in preheated oven at 375 and then turn down to 340 and bake another 40 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream and enjoy!

Auf Wiedershauen!

~Q.Q.

¡Hola!

   I am the Quesadilla Queen. Every time I am left to my own devices for a meal, I make a quesadilla. When debating names for this blog, the Panini Princess was also an option, because I am crazy about Paninis. It may seem that I only like simple foods, which is 1, not true, and 2, these two foods previously mentioned are only as simple as you make them. You can modify both quesadillas and paninis to any meal, with any ingredients, which is what I love about these so called "simple foods".

   My mother introduced me to cooking as a young girl, and I have loved it ever since. To me, it's an enjoyable feeling to be capable of creating something for yourself, by yourself. I truly believe that anyone can cook, so everyone should be able to feel good that they were able to make a meal for their family.

   Really, I am most passionate about foods from different cultures. We have family and friends with so many recipes that I've never heard of, and I want to learn them. I want to expand my knowledge of cultures and people through food, and I figured that if I wanted to learn this stuff, wouldn't other people want to learn this too? So I decided to make a blog, to share my adventures about the world, all from the comfort of my own kitchen. 

Hasta luego!

~Q.Q.