Take a tour of Europe in your kitchen

posted 06:59 AM 06/24
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In mid-May, my husband and I made a much-anticipated trip to Europe. The first part was a sentimental journey for me. We spent a few days in Stockholm, where I lived for a few months in 1962.

Everywhere I have lived, there have been favorite foods. In Stockholm, it was a fruit tart with a cream center covered with a fruity glaze. We shared one in a small café and it renewed a sweet memory. Also, our hostess at our bed and breakfast served herring for breakfast. Fresh, crisp herring pulled from the cold waters of the Baltic Sea is not like the kind in a jar. It makes my mouth water just to think of it.

Next, we rented a car and drove through Germany, stopping in three towns where members of our hospitality exchange welcomed us into their homes. The memory of thin, skillet-filling German pancakes and delicious soup made with fresh white asparagus will stay with me forever.

Our hosts in Basel, Switzerland, served us chicken breast and bacon threaded on quarter-inch-thick skewers and then baked. Wonderful!

Finally, we spent a few days in Paris. The best meal we had there was one our hostess agreed to let me prepare.

I wanted the thrill of shopping for dinner ingredients in the small local shops. I found pork tenderloin beautifully displayed in the charcuterie but pricey at nearly $14 a pound.

I sliced it into half-inch chunks and pounded them thin. The resulting scaloppini were coated in flour and then quick fried in a tiny amount of oil until beginning to brown on each side.

They were set aside and I deglazed the pan with a French Riesling.

When purchased in the local supermarkets in both Germany and Paris, wine was quite inexpensive. It’s possible to spend just 3 or 4 Euros for a surprisingly good bottle. It made up for the costly pork.

A little lemon juice tossed into the pan just before serving, along with a tablespoon or so of capers, and you have a splendid sauce.

Return the scaloppini to the pan for a few moments to reheat, along with any juices that might be in the ready dish. Serve decorated with thin slices of lemon.

The side dish was green asparagus, oiled and lightly salted, and then roasted for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. This was plated and artfully drizzled with a good balsamic vinegar.

Voila – a simple supper served with a crispy baguette.

Dessert was a mixture of nectarine slices and raspberries.

Of course, it wasn’t my own cooking that made this the best meal in Paris, but rather the thrill of the hunt.

I am not much of a shopper at home but I am quite sure I could happily spend months poking around in the shops and open markets in Paris.

Back at home where pork tenderloin is more like $4 a pound, I tried a recipe with a Caribbean accent.

Cut one tenderloin into half-inch slices and put them into a ready dish. I used a loaf pan and it was just the right size.

Add a quarter cup each of dark rum, pineapple juice and lime juice. Allow it to marinate for an hour.

While the pork is marinating, mix a half cup of tropical jelly with two tablespoons of rum. Warm up over low heat, stirring until blended, and set aside.

I used a delicious mango jelly from International Spice & Halal Market on Lacey Boulevard.

You can use guava or even a nontropical jelly like apricot or a good marmalade.

Remove the slices to a folded piece of paper towel. Pat the tops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat a little high smoke-point oil in a sauté pan until a drop of water does the cha-cha and then add the pork slices. Sauté on each side for three minutes.

Serve napped with the rum and jelly sauce.

This is good enough for company yet simple enough for a novice cook.

Karyn Lindberg has called Olympia home since 1988. She is passionate about cooking and entertaining. She believes good recipes are meant to be shared. You can reach her at cookingkaryn@comcast.net.

SHOPPING LIST FOR SCALOPPINI

Pork tenderloin

Lemon

Riesling, Pinot Grigio or other fruity white wine

Capers

SHOPPING LIST FOR CARIBBEAN CUTLETS

Pork tenderloin

Pineapple juice

Lime

Dark rum

Tropical jelly or other family favorite jelly

PANTRY ITEMS

Salt and pepper

High smoke-point oil

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