6/28: Netherlands v Slovakia, Brazil v Chile

Feeling as though I've exhausted the existing selection of traditional Slovak dishes that appeal to me, I'm happy to bid fairwell to the team as we proceed into the next round. Chile, on the other hand, is a country I wish I'd spent more time on. I recommend the recipes at Canela Kitchen, which posts straight from the source in Santiago, Chile. Her recipes include a variety of empanadas and puddings, which come in endless creative flavors in Chile such as corn and prawn, and are listed in both English and Spanish. We're posting two Chilean recipes today to bid adieu and cannot encourage you enough to take this opportunity to enjoy an awesome Carmenere.
Slovaks are shocked when they arrive in the US to find people pouring syrup and whipped cream on their French Toast - they eat it salty! Dutch Uitsmijter is a hearty open-faced sandwich of ham, eggs and cheese, often served for breakfast. Uitsmijter' means 'bouncer' in Dutch, telling the story of a late night snack served just before getting kicked out of the bar. I can think of few foods more perfect for a World Cup match.
If they aren't already serving it on French Toast, they certainly will be now. 
I sincerely doubt we'll ever see the Dutch slathering a cilantro salsa upon their Uitsmijters, but for those of us in places like Texas where breakfast doesn't count if it's not served with salsa, a traditional Chilean Pebre ties this dish together perfectly. Similar but in many ways superior to pico de gallo, pebre is served on everything from grilled meat to sandwiches.  If you cannot find aji chiles, a jalepeno will do, but firey flavors are not characteristic of Chilean cuisine. 
Uitsmijter on Chlieb vo vajci (Dutch sandwich on Slovak French Toast)
Whisk 3 eggs (vajcia), salt liberally, and coat bread (chlieb) in the egg (typically, rye bread is used) then fry on a hot greased pan.
For the Uitsmijter:
Top the Chileb slices with ham and Gouda. Fry 2 eggs, sunny side up, then top the bread. Add Pebre to taste.
Chilean Pebre
1 onion chopped finely
1  green ají chopped
1 tablespoon of oil
1 tablespoon of cilantro chopped
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Combine in a food processor - consistency should be chunky.
Chile v Brazil
An elegant red wine meringue traditionally served with crema inglesa, or clotted cream, this is the equivalent of a Chilean zabaglione. Brazilians are also fond of meringue and use it in almost every popular dessert from banana pie to the layered pavê desserts
They also prepare a red wine pudding called Sagu de vinho whose flavors may be reminiscent in this turron, although certainly not the textures. Taking inspiration from the Italian pairing of zabaglione and fruit, we pair the Turrón with the national dessert of Brazil- a simple yet heavenly passion fruit mouse. The combination of egg whites and condensed milk-based desserts calls on two cultural legacies that characterize modern Latin American cuisine - the legacy of the monks and the Nestlé market penetration that brought its canned milks to the South before fresh milk become widely distributed. Today, Brazilians still call Nestlé the "Leite Moça" or milkmaid.
Turrón de vino con Mousse de Maracujá
Prepare the Mousse:
1 C creme de leite (Brazilian evaporated milk) or cream
1 C sweetened-condensed milk
1/2 C frozen passion fruit or juice if you cannot find the pulp
(optional) one fresh passion fruit
Pureé in a blender until fluffy then chill for a few hours.
Prepare the Turrón:
1/2 C Chilean red merlot or cabernet
3/4 C sugar
3 egg whites
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of salt
In a pot heat the red wine with the cinnamon stick and sugar ~8 minutes until a heavy syrup. Remove cinnamon.
Beat egg whites with pinch of salt until soft peaks, then slowly drizzle in the wine syrup while beating the whites until meringue is cool.
To serve: Divide the chilled mousse into glasses and top with a dollop of turrón.

HEY! We've seen that cuisine before! Cook the foods of today's competing countries using our other recipes: Enjoy a Danish/Dutch Stampot of Burning Love along with Slovak goulash and bryndzové halušky. Slovakia's Bublanina is a clear winner, though we doubt they'll prove so successful in the game as opposed to the kitchen.

Brazil has dominated our menus when compared to Chile, as it will likely dominate the game. It would be difficult for anything to stand up to Feijoada and Caipirinhas

although the Chilean seafood included in our Paella provides ample competition.

Prefer to eat out instead? Our Dining Guide tells you where and why.

Elimination Round

On to the Round of 16! Stepping into the elimination stage, we take a look at the foods of those countries that have made the cut:


Uruguay found its way on the menu several times since opening day, twice fused with France in Dulce de Leche Crème Brulée and Duck Confi Ravioli. They'll face South Korea on Saturday, a country we've seen in spicy and distinctly Asian short ribs.

Later on Saturday, the US faces Ghana in an unexpected match. Ghana may compete on the pitch, but in the World Cup of Food, USA is a clear winner with Bacon Brownie Cupcakes and Texas Peach Pie over Ghana's Jollof rice. However, a Ghanian spin on German Black Forest Cake may be one of the 2010 WCFC's crowning achievements.

Later on in the weekend, England will face a formidable opponent in Germany in what is sure to be a violent match between the two rivals. While it may be World War on the pitch, Käsespätzle, or German mac 'n cheese, made a great addition to our English Ploughman's Lunch, albeit with an Algerian twist.
Earl Grey Ice Cream, however, would be an unlikely topping for our bananas Ghana take on German Black Forest Cake.

Argentina versus Mexico presents a great opportunity for exploring two complimentary, but unique and exciting cuisines. While Argentina will always hold a special place in our hearts for blessing us with Chimichurri and Malbec, we'd find it tough to live without tacos, margaritas and Arroz Mexicana. They both win when filled with Duck confit in the form of empanadas and tamales, and while, sure, its all fun and games when we're all beat France, but only one will walk off the pitch a winner after Sunday's game.

Come Monday, The Netherlands will play Slovakia to remind us just how tired we are of Gouda and dishes that end in "-sky." Nevertheless, we did enjoy both naming and eating the Danish/Dutch Stampot of Burning Love along with Slovak goulash and bryndzové halušky. The clear winner here is Slovakia's Bublanina, though we doubt they'll prove so successful in the game as opposed to the kitchen.

Brazil has dominated our menus when compared to Chile, as it will likely dominate during Monday's game. It would be difficult for anything to stand up to Feijoada and Caipirinhas
although the Chilean seafood included in our Paella provides ample competition.

Regardless of what happens during Japan v Paraguay, the game and cuisine are sure to take backstage to the Iberian feast we have planned for Spain v Portugal. You're likely to have noticed by now through my single inclusion of Japan in a dipping sauce that this is a cuisine that has never quite been able to interest me. Paraguay, on the other hand, with its hearty reflections of Argentina and indigenous cultures, I find enticing. Dishes such as Sopa Paragauay, with the slight deviation of adding my homegrown green chile, and the fried deliciousness of the Milanesa make this landlocked Latin American country the clear winner in this match. My bets are on them for the game as well.

Portugal, the land of my beloved porto; the country that gave birth to Feijoada and spiced up Mediterranean dishes with Piri Piri has much to be proud of, but will forever take backstage to its larger neighbor to the east. Spain, more beloved to me even than porto for its Rioja, brings Manchego and Chorizo as well as Peras al Vino to the table. While they may win on the basis of these dishes alone, traditional Paella clearly puts them on top, so much so that we devoted an entire post to discussing their cuisine.

6/24: Paraguay v New Zealand, Slovakia v Italy, Cameroon v Netherlands, Denmark v Japan

Known as the single most defining dish of Slovak cuisine, Halušky are translated as potato dumplings, but are really more of a cross between gnocchi, spätzle and polenta. Much like the Slovak culture itself, the dish blends flavors from its various borders. Though topped with just about anything, and over 30 varieties dominate menus at Slovak cafés, the most common addition is bryndza, a farmer's sheep cheese, and bacon. The combination produces the national dish of bryndzové halušky.
Preparation is nearly identical to gnocchi, but in the final stages more water is added and the dumplings are cooked into more of a polenta-like texture, particularly once the cheese is added. This makes for a very Italian but distinctly Slovak dish.
We substitute ricotta salata for the Slovak farmer's cheese, bryndza, but any Italian sheep's cheese will lend similar flavors to the dish. While the texture of ricotta is preferable, pecorino shavings could also be delicious. I'm thinking of trying this again with a peppered pecorino. One of Italy's oldest cheeses, pecorino's origins go back to the legend of a shepherd that filled his flask with sheep's milk for a long trip and the milk accidentally fermented during his travels. If you can't find either of these cheeses, or they prove to be too expensive, which they often are, try making your own ricotta.
Due to the central role of potatoes in Danish cooking (you remember the "Jeg er en heldig kartoffel!" from Stamppot of Burning Love?) and their own version of potato dumplings, we're going to consider our dish representative of Denmark as well.
In place of the bacon, we're adding a Paraguayan touch to our Halušky by topping it with a Milanesa, a bread and fried meat, not unlike the southern chicken fried steak but much improved upon it. If you find you become a fan of the Milanesa, join the club - there's even a Facebook group!
Paraguay and New Zealand are strangely alike in culinary heritage. In Paraguay, historic influences of the Guarani culture blend with European settlers and in New Zealand, the Māori indigenous influence modern cuisine and distinguish the island from the Aussies. By far the most representative of the Maori's role in cooking are the traditional hāngi preparations that involve slow roasting meats on heated stones in a covered pit. In an ideal world, we'd roast a pig in the hāngi and use that meat to prepare our Milanesa. If you dare to try it, we'd love to see the pictures!
Halušky a la Italia y Paraguay
Prepare the Halušky:
2 large potatoes
5 T flour
1 egg
3 tsp salt
Peel two large potatoes and shred finely. Add egg, flour and 1 tsp salt. Knead into a soft dough, adding flour or water if necessary.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the dough into small pieces and boil until the dumplings float.
Photo: Flickr: mylifeisyummy

Prepare the Milanesa:
3 thin cuts of beef steak or veal chops
Juice of 1 lime
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T olive oil
2 C fresh bread crumbs
Soak the meat in lime juice, and gently pound into 1/8 in thickness. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper.
Beat egg with garlic, oil and salt. Coat the beef with the egg wash and then cover with breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil until a golden color.
Assemble the dish: Scoop the Halušky out of the water using a slotted spoon. Stir in the ricotta and top with Milanesa.

HEY! We've seen that cuisine before! Cook the foods of today's competing countries using other recipes: try Slovakian Goulash on Sopa Paraguay and a New Zealand take on the Italian classic Zabaglione or Dances with Bublanina, our Slovakian twist on the most famous dessert from down under: the Pavlova. An unusual preparation of yuca as Cameroonian Couscous with a Japanese dipping sauce turned out to be a favorite, as did our Burning Love take on a Dutch Stamppot. As we get deeper into the tournament, it's time to bring out the leftovers, mix & match, and let the fusion menus run wild like a frenzied North Korean defense.

Prefer to eat out instead? Our Dining Guide tells you where and why.

6/20: Slovakia v Paraguay, New Zealand v Italy, Brazil v Cote d'Ivoire

Chances are, you spent the morning in the kitchen filling cupcakes to look like Little Debbie snack cakes because they are your dad's favorite treat and then went fishing in the afternoon. No? Regardless, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY and a legit excuse to miss a day of World Cup Food Challenge cooking unless your father is from one of today's competing countries. Luckily, where I'm from in New Mexico, we make a dish very similar to today's Paraguayan recipe (with the addition of locally grown green chile) and tend to grill a la Brazil on special occasions like Father's Day. If that is not for you, we hope you can incorporate a few of today's select recipes or restaurants into your celebration.

Slovakia v Paraguay

One of only two landlocked countries in S. America, Paraguay is called the "Corazón de América." Bordered by Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, Paraguay's cuisine reflects this deep cultural fusion and is unusual in South American for its lack of seafood. Milanesas and empanadas from Argentina are popular, as well as guarana sodas from Brazil. Dishes such as sopa paraguay and chipa set Paraguayan cuisine apart. As Paraguayans tend to skip breakfast, snack vendors line the streets selling versions of chipa for "merienda." Usually crescent shaped but nothing like a croissant, chipa is made from cornmeal, yucca and cheese or it can be served filled with shredded beef in the form of chipa so'o.

We plan to make chipa later on in the games but have included a recipe for Sopa Paraguay, the country's most well-known dish, for today. The Sopa is typically served with soups or stews and we felt it would make a hearty pairing with Slovak Goulash.

Sopa Paraguay

1 large onion, chopped

1 C queso fresco

1 C mild cheddar, grated

2 C cornmeal

2 C corn kernels

1 tsp salt

1 C milk

6 eggs, separated

Oven: 400F. 
Sauté the onions in oil until golden. Whisk together the cheeses, cornmeal, corn, salt, milk and yolks. Add the onions.

Whip the whites until soft peaks and fold them into the batter.

Pour the batter into a greased 10x13 in pan and bake ~40 min. until set.

Slovak Goulash

1 lb of beef or pork, diced

4 potatoes, diced

1 onion, diced

1 T Hungarian paprika

2 carrots, diced

In a large pot, sauté the onions until golden. Add the paprika and simmer a minute until fragrant. Add the meat and brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add the carrots, cover with water and simmer 15 min. Add the potatoes, salt and pepper to taste, cover with water and simmer ~35 min. until potatoes are soft.

Italy v New Zealand

Dessert represents Italy today with a simple yet decadent traditional Zabaglione, a custard that must be mastered as a basic of Italian cooking. We're tossing in New Zealand into the dessert with a kiwi sauce, as Zabaglione is typically accompanied by a coulis or fresh fruits.

If you were an undying fan of our Pavlova and would like to stick with New Zealand for dessert, try the recipe for traditional Anzac biscuits our friend posted over at EmuisEmo.

Kiwi Zabaglione

1 C cream, whipped to stiff peaks and chilled

1/4 C sugar

1/4 C vin santo or marsala

1 T aged balsamic

3 kiwis, peeled and sliced

1 T fresh lime juice

1 T honey

Sprig of fresh mint

Whisk the yolks with sugar, wine and balsamic over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk vigorously until thick and foamy. Remove from heat and whisk until completely cool (an ice bath helps if your arms tire). Gently fold the whipped cream into the custard and chill ~20 min.

While the Zabaglione chills, prepare the sauce by covering the kiwis with juice, honey and mint. To serve, place the kiwis at the bottom of a martini glass and spoon the Zabaglione over them. Photo: www.chefspencil.com

See our recipes from last week's Brazil and Cote d'Ivoire games.

Prefer to eat out instead? Our Dining Guide tells you where and why.

6/15: New Zealand v Slovakia, Cote d'Ivorie v Portugal, N. Korea v Brazil

Dilemmas, dilemmas. After searching endlessly for a Pavlova in a Houston restaurant to represent New Zealand in our World Cup Dining Guide, I realized that most people don't actually know what a Pavlova is! This gorgeous meringue and whipped cream fruit tower named after the famed Russian ballerina has somehow fallen off our culinary radar. I've been looking forward to making it ever since.

Unfortunately, New Zealand is playing on the same day as Portugal, my favorite country for baked goods. What to do? Create a menu of just desserts? 

Even better, Portugal and Brazil playing on the same day provides a unique opportunity to address two national cuisines in a single dish!

It's also quite handy that modern Portuguese cuisine is heavily influenced by the cultures of its former African colonies and vice versa, so the Ivory Coast and Portugal compliment each other well. Feijoada, a stew of beans and pork is a typical Portuguese dish, although far more well-renowned is the Brazilian version where the Fava beans are replaced with black ones. Here we combine the traditional Feijoadas of Portugal and Brazil with the quintessential Ivoirian snack of fried plantains.

Comprised of over 60 unique ethnic groups, the Ivory Coast has varying regional cuisines, but is united by common cash crops that are remnants French rule. A the leading producer of cocoa and third largest producer of coffee, you may wonder why I did not choose an Ivoirian dish based on these staples. I never buy cacao or coffee from West Africa, which has not only destroyed much of the region's rainforest but employs one of the largest child and slave labor forces in the world. So here's my plug: buy fair trade cacao and coffee! Although it would have been ironic if we'd paired Ivoirian slave cacao with North Korean flavors. But no irony can justify the horrendous flavor profile of such a dish!

Instead, the pungent sweetness of the plantains should compliment North Korean kimchi, as it is known to be of a softer, less garlicky flavor than its southern counterpart. North Korean cuisine is known for its cleaner, milder tastes. Kimchi, the most well-known of all Korean foods, is a pickled vegatable dish served as a banchan (side dish) in countless variations in nearly every Korean meal. It will serve us well here since we can spice up the same kimchi later and call it South Korean. Never fear, the only thing totalitarian about this dish is that it's totally tasty :) 

Feijoada with kimchi-plantain banchan

Feijoada

1/2 lb dried fava or great northern beans, soaked overnight and drained

1/2 lb black beans, soaked overnight and drained

1/2 lb bacon

1/2 lb carne seca (spicy dried beef)

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

Bay leaf

3/4 lb chourico/linguica, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 dried red chili

Chicken stock/broth

In a large pot, cook bacon until it starts to crisp. Add chourico and cook until lightly browned. Add onions and cook until golden, then add bay leaf, garlic and chili. Add remaining ingredients, adding the broth gradually to desired texture. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf and chili.

Photo: 1.bp.blogspot.com

Banchan: Pyongyang style kimchi; fried plantains

As kimchi must pickle over the course of a few days, we're picking ours up at the local Korean grocery. However, I've posted a recipe so as to explain what is involved in making kimchi at home. 

1/4 C coarse sea salt

1 head Napa cabbage, cut into small wedges

3 cloves garlic

1 in piece of ginger root

2 T Asian Fish Sauce

1 Asian radish, peeled and grated

1 small bunch green onions cut into 1-in pieces

1 T Korean chili powder

Dissolve the salt in a 1/2 gal container. Mince the garlic and ginger or combine in food processor with the fish sauce (once again, I call on my immersion blender). Combine the radish, onions and garlic mixture in a bowl with the chili powder. After squeezing and patting as much water as possible out of the cabbage, stuff the leaves with the radish mixture and stuff into the brine. Let sit for 2 to 3 days.

To prepare the fried plantains, simply slice two ripe (blackened) plantains and fry ~3 min until golden. Ivoirian plantains are typically fried in palm oil since olive oil is too expensive, which you are welcome to try, but I would not recommend it for health or flavor reasons. Toss the plantains with kimchi and serve in the closest thing you can find to a cute little banchan dish.

New Zealand vs. Slovakia

The Pavlova is said to have originated in the 1920's during one of the dancer's visits to New Zealand. More than just a meringue, the Pavlova is low baked, leaving a soft inner texture and traditional decoration with exotic fruits such as passionfruit and kiwi. In honor of its origins, we've decided to go with kiwis.

In order to create a Slovak element to our Pavlova, we've served it atop a traditional Slovakian pastry colorfully named "Bubbly cake." Slovakia seems to have taken the spicier, tastier end of the Czech republic split in the culinary department and offers some tantalizing dishes. I hope to revisit the Country later on in the tournament. Their desserts are typically built around some sort of pancake or coffee cake and topped with a fruit sauce such as blueberries. The name, "Bublanina" dervies from its bubbling batter during baking. Yes, Bublanina's batter bubbles during baking - say it three times fast! We've adapted the recipe to include less sugar so as to better compliment the Pavlova topping and left the blueberry sauce for final serving atop the meringue. Also, TX blueberries are in season.

Dances with Bublanina

Prepare the Bublanina:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs divided, at room temperature

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (optional)

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cream of tartar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and stemmed

Place rack in center of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Butter or lightly coat with cooking spray a 9-inch-by-9-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar and yolks until light and fluffy. Add liqueur, if using, orange zest and salt, mixing well. In a clean medium bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff. Alternately fold in egg whites and flour into butter-egg mixture. Turn batter into prepared pan and scatter blueberries evenly over top. Press down into batter with a spatula. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cut into 6 equal pieces.

Prepare the Pavlova: 4 egg whites at room temperature

1 C of Castor sugar

1 tsp white vinegar

1/2 T cornstarch

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1/2 C cream

Fresh kiwis, sliced

1 T fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 275F. Line a baking tray with foil and draw a 7 inch circle on the foil (don't tear the foil). Set aside.

In a clean, medium-sized metal bowl, beat the egg whites with a clean electric mixer on medium speed. Beat until the whites form soft peaks. Gently sprinkle the sugar into the egg whites, until your egg whites form glossy stiff peaks.

Sprinkle the cornstarch and vinegar on the meringue and fold in gently with a plastic spatula. Add the vanilla and gently fold the mixture again.

Now gently spread the meringue in the circle on the foil to make a circular base. Make sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher then the center so you have a very slight well in the middle.

Bake the meringue ~1:15 or until it goes a very pale, pinkish color.

Turn the oven off and leave the door slightly ajar to let the meringue cool completely. As the meringue cools, it will crack slightly.

Blueberry Sauce

1 pints fresh blueberries, washed and stemmed

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 T sugar

Reduce berries in a saucepan until sauce is desired consistency.

To assemble the Dances with Bublanina:

Arrange the Bublanina on a cake plate and top with the meringue.

Whip the cream with the vanilla extract until it forms peaks and gently spread the cream to the top of the meringue with a spatula. Arrange kiwis on top and drizzle blueberry sauce to serve.

Prefer to eat out instead? Our Houston Dining Guide tells you where and why.