Eating my way through Central Europe
-
HOT FOR GOULASH.
Very warm today and we were glad when our guide lead us in to a medieval wine cellar circa demonstration of how to make goulash. I’ve heard of it but have never tried it. Cool!
Our instructor had a little demonstration burner set up and perfectly arranged mise en place on an an adjacent table.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/069WNxzFb5q1NdPcg82-fi3cQ
It’s easy enough to make and it used two vegetables that I had never seen in California but I have seen in Ohio grocery stores - celery root end parsley root. I had wondered what one might do with them and now I know. So do the Hungarian people who shop there, presumably.
I really like it! It’s not quite like any soup I’ve ever had, owing largely to the inclusion of crushed caraway seeds. The noodle making procedure is interesting - you make a standard wheat dough, hydrated to the level of Play-doh, and then pick bits off with your fingers. Those are cooked separately and stirred in at the last.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/06c9JQPx6vUNosLr3N6jB5VgQ
That little red dot on the rim of the bowl is some of that hot paprika. I bought some more on the way out.
-
FOOD AND WINE
Dinner was billed as a small family winery, operated by the same family for 5 generations. Turned to be somewhat more grand than that - a thriving facility with two restaurants, everything as up to date as next week.
First wine tasting in the 300 year old wine cellar that looks like it’s built yesterday. 3 wines to try -Red, White, Rose. White quite good, Rose OK, Red, not so much. Don’t take my word for it, though, because I don’t drink much wine.
Generous pours as tastings go, so when we sat down to dinner everyone was in a great mood. All local fare in a style I’d describe as CA wine country cooking. All very well made.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/071WRrPn9CuyEvt4wAa7oFhWA
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0b4L0vruMtJNr3VOWGmYQYp7w
https://share.icloud.com/photos/02aB44fIjxCvhhsN_VJOyPmHQ
More wine with dinner, a round of toasts, then everyone sang 1970’s pop hits in the bus on the way back to the hotel.
-
All sounds lovely @Steve-Miller !
How long is your vacation, all told?
-
This bottle cap design is very clever in that the cap doesn’t come fully off. I’ve never seen it before.
All of the bottles are like this - probably a EU regulation. Deserves adoption in the US.
@Steve-Miller said in Eating my way through Central Europe:
This bottle cap design is very clever in that the cap doesn’t come fully off. I’ve never seen it before.
All of the bottles are like this - probably a EU regulation. Deserves adoption in the US.
I fucking hate those things. They make me want to rip them off and litter in protest.
-
All sounds lovely @Steve-Miller !
How long is your vacation, all told?
-
We’re going home Tuesday.
@Steve-Miller so almost another week to enjoy all the yummies!
