Where to find steak and lamb chops?

This query is from Sean the starving carnivore:

Help! Does anyone know where I can buy a decent bit of fillet steak and some nice lamb chops, please ? 90% of the meat in the supermarkets here seems to be pork or chicken or some very strange body parts which I am not that keen on. Any beef that I have bought in Tesco’s, Avion or Carrefour has been so tough that one would need jaws of steel to bite through it. Any recommendations please ?

I have found meat in Hainburg, Austria at Hofer (good for ground beef), and Spar (good for chicken and other meats). If you want to travel a little further, you can find large quantities and some good cuts of meat at reasonable prices at C&C Pfeiffer. It is located in Shopping City Sud south of Vienna in Austria. Drive to the far end, past the McDonald’s.

–E

Where to find Molasses? Brown Sugar?

Rebecca asked in her recipe for Pumpkin Molasses Cake, where could she find Molasses or Brown Sugar? Please tell us where you have spotted these items in Slovakia or Austria.

I remember seeing Molasses at the Bio Bio store. There is one in the Au Park mall. I haven’t found brown sugar yet.

–E

Pumpkin Molasses Cake – Recipe from Rebecca

Pumpkin Molasses Cake
2 cups peeled, deeded, cubed pumpkin or 3/4 cup canned
1/2 c butter softened
1/3 c molasses
2/3 c brown sugar
3 large eggs room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 c unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c dark or golden raisins

Cook pumpkin covered in lightly salted boiling water for app 20 min or until tender. Cool and puree.
Preheat oven to 350 and butter 9-inch spring form pan.

Cream butter in large bowl, gradually adding the molasses and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and orange zest.

Sift all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir half the dry mixture into the creamed, then fold the pumpkin puree, followed by the rest of the dry ingredients, fold in raisins.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for 40 min. Cool in the cake in pan for 10 min before taking off side. Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Glaze
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp heavy cream
2 Tbsp dark rum

Bring maple syrup, cream and rum to a boil in a small sauce-pan. Boil for 1 minutes, then remove from heat. Either spoon over cake while hot so it sinks in or let it cool and become thicker, then spread it on top of cake.

I can find maple syrup here at Tesco, although it’s VERY expensive, but where can I find Molasses? And brown sugar I just stock up on whenever anyone is coming back from the states, although I’ve heard you can get it in Austria too.

Pumpkin Pie Recipe from EB

PUMPKIN PIE
1 can pumpkin puree (if you do not have canned pumpkin, see pumpkin season)
1 1/2 c heavy cream (I used yellow box Raho brand cream)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c sugar
1/2 t salt
2 eggs + yolk of 3rd
2 t cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground cardomon
1/2 t lemon zest
1 pie crust – do not cook prior to adding pie mixture

Preheat oven 425. Mix sugars, salt, & spices in large bowl. Beat eggs separately & then add to sugar mixture. Stir in pumpkin puree. Stir in cream. Mix all together until well blended. Make several slices with a knife on bottom of pie crust before adding pumpkin mixture. Bake pie for 15 min. Reduce temperature to 350 & cook for 40-50 min longer. Pie is done when knife comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours.

Pumpkin Season

In October I see orange. I love everything about pumpkins, their color, their shape, their taste, and their texture. I have used local pumpkin while abroad because canned pumpkin is not usually available. I have cut pumpkin into chunks and steamed until done. Alternatively, I cut the pumpkin into quarters or chunks and bake, rind-side-down for 30 to 60 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. I then puree the pumpkin and store it in sandwich size zip lock bags. I freeze the amount I need for a particular pumpkin recipe so I don’t waste any.

Please share your pumpkin recipes!

–E

Where to find…?

Julie would like to find a few items in Bratislava. Can you help? Please comment below. We will post these types of questions in the Where to find…? category (suggested by Julie).

Julie’s Questions:

I haven’t been able to find ground cardamom anywhere in Bratislava. Does anyone have a suggestion?

I am also looking for currants. Has anyone had any luck finding these in Bratislava?

Any luck finding 100% natural baby food in jars in Bratislava? I’m looking for no preservatives or rastlinny tuk (oil) or sugar, or anything else added. Just plain food.

Thanks!

Roasted Zucchini and Eggplant Lasagna from Cook’s Illustrated – Recipe from Marcy

Roasted Zucchini and Eggplant Lasagna from Cook’s Illustrated

Step One-Roasting the Veggies (this is not as difficult as it sounds-I have been doing this first step and freezing the veggies so I can make lasagna anytime in the year (we can’t get it if it’s not in season), although from start to finish this is not a fast dish)

If you use 2 baking sheets for this-adjust your oven racks for even cooking and preheat to about 200 degrees C. Toss 1pd zucchini and 1pd eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch dice, with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 4 minced garlic cloves, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread veggies over 2 greased baking sheets; roast, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Set veggies aside.

Step Two-Master Recipe for Vegetable Lasagna with Tomato Sauce

The book says you can substitute 3 1/2 cups of your favorite prepared tomato sauce, but their sauce is quick and easy. They also suggest buying 2 boxes of the no-boil lasagna noddles because they come 12-16 in a box and you need 15 (I have found this unnecessary-the box of spinach no-cook noodles I purchased in Billa in Hainburg contained enough noodles to make this dish twice).

2 Tbs olive oil
2 med cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I used 2 400g cans of Tesco chopped tomatoes and kinda smash them in the pan as they cook)
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil of parsley leaves
salt and pepper
15 dried 7 by 3 1/2 inch no-boil lasagna noodles
3 cups cooked and seasoned vegetables (this is your roasted zucchini and eggplant)
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil and garlic in a 10-inch skillet over med heat until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes; simmer until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the basil or parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into large measuring cup. Add enough water to make 3 1/2 cups.

2. Spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly over the bottom of a greased 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Lay three noodles crosswise over the sauce, making sure they do not touch each other or the sides of the pan. Spread 3/4 cup roasted Zucchini and Eggplant evenly over the noodles, 1/2 cup sauce evenly over the veg, and 3/4 cup mozzarella and 2 generous tablespoons Parmesan evenly over the sauce. Repeat the layering of the noodles, veg, sauce, and cheeses three more times. For the fifth layer, lay the final three noodles crosswise over the previous layer and top with the remaining 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. (lasagne can be wrapped with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight or wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, defrost in refrigerator.)

3. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 190 degrees C. Cover the pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil greased with cooking spray (Tesco has a spray olive oil). Bake 25 minutes (30 minutes if chilled); remove the foil and continue baking until the top turns golden brown in spots, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Cut and serve immediately.

And that’s it! Enjoy!

I really enjoy this lasagna right now since everything is in season. I also started preparing the roasted veggies and freezing them so I can make it later in the year. It is delicious and my 4 year old son loves it. It comes from Cooks Illustrated (it’s a magazine related to America’s Test Kitchen and you can get an online membership at http://www.cooksillustrated.com/ -They’re grrrrrreat-ala Tony the Tiger.)

Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles

I have a book called Recipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold that I have used only occasionally but this blog inspired me to take it out again and see if the three ingredients per recipe will work here in Slovakia. I tried Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles last week and it was a hit with the family and at least one child, the picky eater. My children have different taste buds so it is miraculous if both of them like the same recipe at the same time.

I let my older child, the pickier eater, sauté the cabbage. Allowing a child to participate in preparing dinner, ups the chances that he might at least try it.

The ingredients are super easy to find in Slovakia and Austria.

A couple of tips: the recipe calls for draining liquid from the cabbage overnight. I did this but also tried a salad spinner which may work just as well. There is quite a bit of butter in this recipe which although tasty, I bet it could work as well with olive oil.

Enjoy and please comment on our recipes to let us know if they work for you!

–E

Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles

1 large head green cabbage
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
12 ounces medium-wide egg noodles

With a sharp knife, shred the cabbage into 1/4-inch-wide slices. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with kosher salt. Cover with a plate to weight it down and refrigerate overnight. Put in a pan to collect any liquid. The next day, turn the cabbage out into a colander and squeeze dry.

In a large pan, melt the butter and add the cabbage. Sauté over medium heat until the cabbage is light brown and very soft, 30 to 40 minutes.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and toss them with the cabbage, adding lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 4.

ADD-ONS (although each recipe in this book has three ingredients, the author provides optional add-ons. I added half of an onion so it wouldn’t be too spicy for the kids)

Slice 1 large onion very thin and sauté it with the cabbage. Sprinkle with caraway seeds.

Blackberry Crumbles from Martha Stewart Living Magazine – Recipe from Anne

Blackberry Crumbles from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Prep time: 15 min. Total time:60 min (inc. cooling time).
Serves 4 (big eaters)

4 cups fresh blackberries (about 14 ounces)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for ramekins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
6 store-bought sugar cookies (about 2 ounces), coarsely crushed
1/4 cup rolled oats

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Stir blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons flour, and the lemon juice in a bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter, cinnamon, salt, and remaining tablespoon sugar into a small bowl. Stir vigoursly with a rubber spatula until creamy. Stir in cookies, oats,and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons flour. Work mixture through fingers until it forms coarse crumbs ranging in size from peas to gum balls.
3. Butter four 5-ounce ramekins (about 3 1/2 inches in diameter). Divide blackberry mixture among ramekins; transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake until juices are bubbling and topping is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on a rack 20 minutes before serving.

Pesto and Co. – Shopping Tip from Colleen

There is a really nice little Italian store in the Rozodal apartment complex, on the Mliekarenska side. It sells a good selection of cheese and ham along with pasta, wine, creme caramel and lots more. It’s called Pesto and Co. It closes for lunch so it’s best to go in the morning or late afternoon. It opens for a couple of hours on Saturday morning. It is also close to the large market on Mileticova.