Bistro Chic

Happy New Year from Bistro Chic!

As Americans get ready to ring in the New Year with Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest, let’s check out how our friends across the pond are celebrating…

Britain – Many British still keep the age-old tradition of first footing, a practice whereby the first visitor (preferably a tall, dark, and handsome man!) enters a New Year’s gathering bearing gifts. In order to ensure luck for the New Year, the first footer must enter through the front door and then leave through the back. Only question I have is – do they let him back in?

Wales – In complete reverse of the Brits… on New Year’s Eve, the Welsh open the back door of the house when the clock strikes midnight, signifying the end of the year. This is followed by the opening of the front door to welcome in the New Year. They really take the phrase out with the old, in with the new, literally.

Spain - Spaniards eat 12 grapes at midnight to secure 12 prosperous months for the coming year. 

Denmark – Throughout the year, the Danes save their old dishes, only to throw them at the houses of their friends on New Year’s Eve. A household that receives an array of broken dishes come January 1, will be a household full of friends and good relationships in the coming year. You really know if you have friends when they help you clean up the mess!

Portugal – Children go door to door singing carols known as Janeiro’s. These old songs are said to bring good luck in the New Year and children are given treats and coins in return.

Finland and Russia – The Finnish and Russian people are accustomed to ringing in the New Year by taking a bath at their favorite sauna. Hmm…not too different than any other day of the year. However, this year, the Russian government is encouraging citizens to enjoy their sauna before they pop open the bubbly. Apparently, drinking and sauna-ing don’t mix.

France - Aside from eating, drinking, and traditional merry making with close friends and family, the French also end the year (actually on January 6) by cutting and enjoying  la galette des rois, a round, sweet puffed pastry cake with a tiny king, queen, or other figurine baked inside. The person who finds this figure, or une feve, is said to have luck throughout the year. Sounds just like the King Cake at Mardi Gras! I wonder if that’s where the French got the idea

See you in 2010!

Growing up in a largely Polish-American family, I was accustomed to having great amounts of Polish food at our Christmas and New Year’s gatherings. You could always find stuffed cabbage, Polish sausage, and wafer cookies that were dusted with powdered sugar. The stuffed cabbage was always made by my Aunt Flo, while the Polish sausage was brought by my father. And the cookies….well, I ate these cookies for many years, savoring their buttery, sugary taste, never knowing their true origin or what they were called.

POLISH OR ITALIAN?

But, one year, these special cookies just stopped appearing at our holiday gatherings and I had no idea why. Many years later, I began wondering what happened to those waffle-like, butter cookies with the powdered sugar. When describing the cookie to my father-in-law, he recognized the cookies as the world-renowned pizzelles, an Italian cookie.  But how could this be? As a girl, I just assumed that these cookies were Polish, considering the background of my relatives. It turns out, that the cookies were actually made by my one Italian aunt – Aunt Florence – (married into the family) who has long since passed, along with her wonderful cookies. 

PIZZELLE ORIGIN

The pizzelle, comes from the Italian word pizze, meaning round and flat. Pizzelles are believed to be the oldest cookie in history, first made in the 8th century in south-central Italy. The traditional pizzelle cookie is made from a sugar/butter-based batter that is pressed between two hot irons, usually sporting a design. Centuries ago, the families would have pizzelle irons specially made with family crests, special dates, or other celebratory designs. Although once enjoyed at annual festivals, these cookies can now be found at nearly every holiday celebration, in Italy and beyond. 

A PIZZELLE IRON OF MY VERY OWN

Last year, I received a post-Christmas surprise gift from my Father-in-law – a pizzelle iron/maker.  The iron has a simple, flower or snowflake-like design, perfect for any celebration. But the design really didn’t matter - I was simply excited to finally have the means to make these cookies in my own home.

I carefully followed the step-by-step basic pizzelle recipe that came with the iron – although I now realize that there are countless other quality pizzelle recipes available – even lemon and double chocolate!

It took me several tries to get the cookies just right – at first they were undercooked to the point of mush, then overcooked to the point where they crumbled. When I finally mastered the pizzelle iron’s temperature changes, I made my own light and airy cookie worthy of any Polish family function. The trick is to watch the time carefully and use quality flavoring, such as anise, almond, or vanilla.

This year, I once again made the pizzelle cookies using the basic vanilla recipe. And, once again, it took me several tries to get the cookies just right. But, I also opted to go a little fancier shaping the warmed wafers into flute-like rolls. They can also be made into cones for ice cream or little cups for specialty dessert holders. As you can see, the possibilities for this perfect little cookie are endless.

Whether you prefer chocolate or vanilla, rolled or flat, this centuries-old cookie will no doubt be made by many more generations to come. No Italian heritage necessary.

Feliz Navidad everyone! Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas Eve. Although I’ve been off work for the entire week, I feel like I’ve had little time to relax or to have some quality me time. But thankfully, I was able to take a few minutes to enjoy a little bit of chocolate – Barcelona style!

A few weeks ago, I stopped into our local gourmet market and saw a whole row dedicated to chocolate. And, it was not just any chocolate, but fancy chocolate from all over the world. One particular chocolate bar immediately caught my attention – Vosges Barcelona Bar. At nearly $8 per bar, I was a little leery about spending that much money on what was essentially a candy bar. But, my love for European things got the better of me!

Although Vosges is not a European company, they do specialize in haut chocolates. Plus, their chocolatiers get their inspiration from all over the world. The Barcelona Bar is reminiscent of the flavors of Spain, including sea salt, roasted almonds, and deep milk chocolate. With just one bite of the little chocolate square, I knew this candy was worth every penny. The salt combined with the chocolate was just heavenly and the almonds added great flavor and a bit of a crunch.

Plus, how cute is this imprint on the chocolate? So chic! A word of caution though, I thought I could eat one or two squares and put the remainder away for another day. I ended up eating more than 1/2 the bar! Now I understand why the chocolate is so expensive – it has to be or else I would be buying – and eating – this every week!

I highly recommend this chocolate, especially if you’re in the mood for something decadent. Just keep in mind, the price tag is not for the faint of heart. 

Buenos Noches!