PRESTONWOOD GOURMET CLUB

Saturday, October 8th – 6:30pm

~ A nod to the 1920 Olympics in…

Antwerp, Belgium

Your October planners: Haltiner, Kiser

HISTORY

The 1920 Olympic Games (also known as the VII Olympiad) closely followed the ending of World War 1, being held from April 20 to September 12, 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. The war had been devastating, with massive destruction and monstrous loss of life, leaving many countries unable to participate in the Olympic Games. Still, the 1920 Olympics went on, seeing the first use of the iconic Olympic flag, the first time a representative athlete took the official Olympic oath, and the first time white doves (representing peace) were released. The world had seen much bloodshed from World War I, which made many wonder whether the war's aggressors should be invited to the Olympic Games. Ultimately, since the Olympic ideals stated that all countries should be allowed entrance into the Games, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Hungary were not forbidden to come, but they were also not sent an invitation by the Organizing Committee. (These countries were again not invited to the 1924 Olympic Games)

In addition, the newly formed Soviet Union decided not to attend. (Athletes from the Soviet Union did not reappear at the Olympics until 1952.)

Unfinished Buildings

Since the war had ravaged throughout Europe, funding and materials for the Games was difficult to acquire. When the athletes arrived in Antwerp, construction had not been completed. Besides the stadium being unfinished, the athletes were housed in cramped quarters and slept on folding cots.

Extremely Low Attendance

Though this year was the first that the official Olympic flag was flown, not many were there to see it. The number of spectators was so low - mainly because people could not afford tickets after the war - that Belgium lost over 600 million francs from hosting the Games.

Amazing Stories

On a more positive note, the 1920 Games were notable for the first appearance of Paavo Nurmi, one of the "Flying Finns." Nurmi was a runner who was ran like a mechanical man - body erect, always at an even pace. Nurmi even carried a stopwatch with him as he ran so that he could evenly pace himself. Nurmi returned to run in the 1924 and the 1928 Olympic Games winning, in total, seven gold medals.

The Oldest Olympic Athlete

Although we normally think of Olympic athletes as young and strapping, the oldest Olympic athlete of all time was 72 years old. Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn had already participated in two Olympic Games (1908 and 1912) and had won five medals (including three gold) before appearing at the 1920 Olympics. At the 1920 Olympics, 72-year-old Swahn, sporting a long white beard, won a silver medal in the 100-meter, team, and running deer (target) double shots.

Food

Food in Belgium plays an important part in Belgian culture. Belgium has one of the highest densities of Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, although many Belgians' top favorite foods are also home-cooked comfort dishes and street-vendor snack foods.

Just as the country is divided linguistically, it's also divided food-wise. Flemish (north) cuisine has a strong Dutch influence, while Wallonian (south) cooking is very similar to French foods with lots of rich sauces. Most dishes are based around meat or fish, and top Belgian desserts are often rich pastries or decadent chocolates – and everything is usually washed down with wine or the national drink, beer. Belgian waffles are served both savory and sweet, but your planners decided that particular food selection would be too cliché.

~MENU ~

Appetizer: Mussels and Chips w/Lemon Mayo dipping sauce – host

home

Salad: Endive, apple and walnut

Main: Sole Meuniere served with simple steamed green beans

Side: Hashed Brussels sprouts

Dessert: Chocolate cake with powdered sugar and raspberries

Drinks: Belgian beer, along with host’s choice of white and red wines.

Suggested Division of Labor

Four cooks

Mussels, chips*, dipping sauce and drinks: Must be prepared at the host home – cook 1

Endive, Apple and Walnut Salad, Steamed Green Beans – cook 2

Sole Meuniere – cook 3 – plan on saucing at the host home

Hashed Brussels Sprouts, Chocolate Cake with Raspberries – cook 4

Five cooks

Mussels, chips*, dipping sauce and drinks: Must be prepared at the host home – cook 1

Endive, Apple and Walnut Salad, Steamed Green Beans – cook 2

Sole Meuniere – cook 3 – plan on saucing at the host home

Hashed Brussels Sprouts – cook 4

Chocolate Cake with Raspberries – cook 5

*Note on the chips. They need to be prepared at the last minute because they would not travel well,

becoming hopelessly soggy. The hosts may feel free to assign the chips to a guest, but they would

need to be prepared at the host home, perhaps by the guest assigned to the sole. That said; if you

read the recipe, you will see that the first part of the frying can be done hours in advance. It is the

second step that would need to be done at the host home, to be served immediately, and it is a much

briefer frying.

Moules frites – Belgian Mussels and Chips

About 30 million tons of moules frites are eaten every year in Belgium (that's around 7 pounds a person), in a season that runs from September to February. The most common way to cook them is in white wine, shallots, parsley and butter, although other recipes replace the wine with Belgian beer, add cream, or use a vegetable stock. Belgians use an empty shell like a pair of tweezers to scoop out the mussels, but forks may be used.

The traditional accompaniment to mussels is frites (what Brits call chips and Americans call French fries). According to historian Jo Gerard, the Belgians invented frites, way back in 1781. Frites are thicker than French fries and very crisp because, like traditional English chips, they're fried twice.

(Serves 8)

For the mussels:

Extra-virgin olive oil

4 small onions, finely diced

8 cloves garlic, smashed

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

4 tablespoons fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

2 bay leaves

6 pounds mussels, debearded and rinsed

2 bottles dry white wine

Direction

To cook the mussels: In a pot, large enough to accommodate all the mussels, generously coat

with olive oil. Add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Cook the

onions until they are very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic, thyme and bay

leaf and cook for another 2 to3 minutes. Stir to be sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the

mussels and stir to coat with the oil. Add the wine and cover the pot. Steam the mussels for 5

to 6 minutes or until all the shells open. If some shells don't open, cook them for a little longer.

Sometimes the freshest mussels are the most stubborn to open. Remove the mussels that

don't open after longer cooking. When in doubt, throw it out.

Serve the mussels immediately in individual bowls with lots of the juice from the bottom of the

pot, with the fries (chips) in a separate container.

Belgian Fries – Frites – serve alongside the Mussels

(Serves 4 to 6) - Double this dish

Ingredients

3 to 4 cups vegetable oil for frying

2 pounds Idaho or russet baking potatoes, peeled, rinsed and dried (do not use “new”

potatoes, as their starch content is too low for frying)

Salt to taste

1. Pour enough oil into a deep fryer to reach at least halfway up the sides of the pan but not more than

three-quarters of the way up. Heat the oil to 325°F.

2. Cut the potatoes into sticks 1/2 inch wide and 2 1/2 to 3 inches long. Dry all the pieces thoroughly in a

clean dish towel. This will keep the oil from splattering. Divide the potato sticks into batches of no

more than 1 cup each. Do not fry more than one batch at a time.

3. When the oil has reached the desired temperature, fry the potatoes for 4 to 5 minutes per batch. They

should be lightly colored but not browned. If your fryer has a basket, simply lift it out the remove the

fried potatoes. Otherwise, use a long-handled skimmer to lift out the potatoes. Be sure to bring the

temperature of the oil back to 325°F in between batches. At this point the fries can rest for several

hours at room temperature until you are almost ready to serve them.

4. At the host home, heat the oil to 350°F. Fry the potatoes in 1-cup batches until they are nicely

browned and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on fresh paper towels or brown paper bags and place in a

warmed serving bowl lined with more paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve. Never cover the

potatoes to keep them hot as they will immediately turn soft and limp.

5. Serve with lemon mayonnaise.

Belgian Fries, continued

NOTE: You may want to fry outdoors or in the garage if you are worried about the oil “aroma.”

Simple Mayonnaise Dipping Sauce for Chips

(Enough for all!)

1. 1 cup mayonnaise 2. 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3. 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1. Combine the mayonnaise, juice, and zest and mix well. Season to taste. 2. Store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to serve. 3. Serve as a dipping sauce for the chips

OR…

(Have a little lemon zest handy to dust the top of the mayo)

Endive, pomme et salade aux noix- Endive, Apple and Walnut Salad

(Serves 6) – Intentionally small servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 heads Belgian endive, trimmed, cut on the bias into 1-inch-thick slices

2 apples, skin on, cored, sliced into thin half-moons

1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted and chopped

Endive, Apple and Walnut Salad, continued

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and salt, and season with black pepper. Whisk

in the olive oil in a steady stream to make a smooth, emulsified dressing.

2. Toss the endive*, apples, and walnuts together in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the dressing, toss

well, and serve immediately.

*Did you know that all endive comes from Belgium?

Steamed Green Beans – serve alongside the fish

2 pounds of Fresh Green Beans or Haricot Verts

Bring a scant 1/2 inch salted water to boil in a large frying pan or sauté pan. Add green beans, cover,

and cook until green beans are tender to the bite and water has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes

(depending on how crisp you like your cooked green beans).

SOLE MEUNIÈRE – Sole or similar flat fish, pan-fried in butter Sole is a remarkable fish—meaty and succulent, but with a delicate flavor. When it comes to cooking it, the simplest way is the best, as in classic sole meuniere, where butter and lemon subtly enhance the taste and texture. If sole is not available or is too small and delicate, you may substitute flounder or fluke. Central Market has very small sole- call in advance to reserve it, but the portions are tiny. Albertsons has great looking (larger) flounder if you cannot find sole. None of the other major grocers had either sole or flounder.

(Serves 8)

8 (4–6-oz.) boneless, skinless filets sole or flounder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter – adjust as needed

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1 large lemon, thinly sliced crosswise

Instructions

Season filets on both sides with salt and pepper. Place flour on a plate and set aside.

Heat 6 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Working in batches, dust filets in flour, shaking off excess, and then place in skillet; cook, turning

once, until browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer filets to warm

serving platter or individual plates; sprinkle with parsley.

The next step (saucing) may be prepared by a guest at the host home-please inquire with them first.

Wipe skillet clean and return to heat with remaining butter. Cook, swirling pan, until butter begins to

brown. Add lemon slices, cook until heated through, and then pour evenly over filets. Serve

immediately.

Choux de Bruxelles hachés - Hashed Brussel Sprouts

(Serves 8-10)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 to 3 pounds Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, or poppy seeds

¼ cup dry white wine or vermouth Salt and pepper to taste

Here is a one-minute video link that you may want to view on how to prepare this dish:

http://www.nytimes.com/video/dining/100000002543814/hashed-brussels-sprouts-with-lemon-

zest.html?smid=pl-share

Hashed Brussel Sprouts, continued

Step 1

Place lemon juice in a large bowl.

Cut bottoms off sprouts, and discard. Working in batches, use a food processor fitted with the slicing

blade to cut sprouts into thin slices. (If cutting by hand, halve sprouts lengthwise, and thinly slice them

crosswise. The slices toward the stem end should be thinner, to help pieces cook evenly-see video!)

As you work, transfer slices into bowl with lemon juice.

When all sprouts are sliced, toss them in juice and use your fingers to separate leaves. (Recipe can

be prepared to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 hours.)

Step 2

When ready to serve, heat oil and butter over high heat in a skillet large enough to hold all sprouts.

When very hot, add sprouts, garlic and seeds, and cook, stirring often, until sprouts are wilted and

lightly cooked, but still bright green and crisp, about 4 minutes. Some leaves may brown slightly.

Step 3

Add wine and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Turn off heat, add salt and

pepper to taste, and more lemon juice if desired. Stir in the lemon zest, reserving a little for top of

dish. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining zest and serve.

Belgian gâteau au chocolat - Belgian Chocolate Cake (Serves 8) – You will probably want small servings due to the richness of this cake

Requires a spring form pan!

It’s not as dense and rich as some flourless cakes, so you can actually eat a piece without feeling stuffed. This cake is very moist and slightly fluffy, with a mousse or soufflé-like texture. It comes out of the oven puffed up high, but sinks down as it cools. The surface will have large cracks— and you have to embrace the cracks— they’re part of the aesthetic.

Step 1 Preheat oven to 325 9 ounces bittersweet (or semi-sweet) chocolate, cut in chunks. Kroger’s Private Collection brand (baking aisle) contains genuine Belgian chocolate, but you may use whatever is available for you. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up

Put the butter and then the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then

stir.

Microwave for another 30 seconds, and stir again. If it’s not completely melted, put it back in for

another 15 seconds, and stir until the chocolate completely melts.

Step 2

1 1/3 cup sugar 3 tablespoons all purpose flour 5 large eggs, beaten with a whisk until well blended Powdered sugar for sifting on top 1 pint of high quality fresh raspberries

Belgian Chocolate Cake, continued

Add the sugar and flour to the chocolate, then the eggs, and blend well. The mixture will thicken.

Cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Pour into an oiled 9 or 10 inch spring-form pan. Bake for about 50-55 minutes, until firm on top

and cracks form across the surface. Cool on a rack, then remove the outer ring.

Sift powdered sugar over the top.

Top cake with fresh raspberries or serve them on the side

Note: It goes without saying that the toothpick test will not work with this cake. When the whole surface is cracked and has lost its shiny ‘uncooked’ look, it’s done. You can’t really go wrong since this is supposed to be a super moist cake.