(Above) Italian national Luca Toni in a pictorial comparison with Renaissance art in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung magazine. A Bayern Munich player, he is said to bring Renaissance to the most exciting team of the German Bundesliga.My heart is with Italy as a few of its players are my favourites (Luca Toni, Fabio Cannavaro who sadly is reported to have torn his ankle ligaments and won't be taking part, Pippo Inzaghi) but methinks Italy is not likely to be hungry enough to take the European Cup after winning the last World Cup two years ago.
Update: My story appeared in StarTwo on June 6 -- http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/6/6/lifefocus/21445912&sec=lifefocus
As for munchies, football season calls for snacks and 'portable' desserts you can take to the couch on a dish without making a mess.
My two eldest sisters who recently visited me here liked the novelty and tanginess of rhubarb. The eldest took a stalk home and is planning to make a rib stew with it. Here, I present a recipe adapted from 'Die Zeit', a German newspaper online.
Rhubarb-Souffle Pie
By Karl-Josef Fuchs
Ingredients:
Pastry:
(1 part sugar + 2 parts butter + 3 parts flour) or store-bought pie dough
400g rhubarb, stripped of fibre and cut into 1cm slices
2 tbs sugar
80g butter, softened
80g ground almond, roasted for 5 minutes at 120 degrees C
75g raw sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp flour
The stripped rhubarb pieces (right) and peel (below) make interesting visuals.
Crumble topping:
60g sugar
55g flour (75g)
20g quark or yoghurt or cream cheese
25g butter, softened or melted
Method:
1. Toss rhubarb slices with 2 tbs sugar and heat in the oven at 120 degrees C for 7-10 minutes. Sieve away liquid if any.
2. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Roll out pastry to line a baking paper-lined pan (approx. 20cmx28cm).
3. Mix sugar with butter. Add eggs, flour and almond. Fold in rhubarb slices.
4. Fill pie with rhubarb mixture.
5. Combine topping ingredients with fingertips to make a crumble. Strew it over the pie.
6. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer pie to a wire rack. Slice on a board. Serve with cream whipped with vanilla sugar if desired.
24 comments:
I never knew you were a football fan. My Bald Eagle will be leaving me for a week to pay homage to the Euro Cup. I still don't get it.
I agree with you. The stripped rhubarb is really pretty.
Dear Lyrical Citrusleafskirt, I think I became a fan from the last couple of World Cup tournaments. A late bloomer, sorta.
Do you mean your BE is coming to Switzerland or Austria for a week? And he has tickets?! Wowee.
Argiewargie, my BE will be going to Austria for the finals. Yeah, he's got tickets. In his absence, I shall be partying like cwazy. Sorta. Maybe not partying. Just eating. Yeah. That's it.
Schmeezes! Tickets to the final?! He must be rich -- do you know how much the tickets cost? Gazillions of euros!
Never eaten rhubarb before. Except for the color, the stem resembles Japanese celery. Have tried Japanese rhubarb 'Fuki", though. But I seldom eat it cos of the hassle of stripping the stems.
Yes, Wonda, stripping the stems is a bit of work. I've a rhubarb pie in the oven now after procrastinating from yesterday. ;-)
Interesting - thanks for telling me about fuki. I looked it up in Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuki
Did you cook it yourself? If yes, in what style?
Your sisters took one stalk home back to Malaysia?
I have seen Rhubarbs in grocery stores but have never bought one. Must be high in iron and fiber, right?
Yes, it sounds funny, Mrs HBT -- only one big stalk (remaining in my fridge) as the supermarket nearby didn't have any fresh ones that day.
The Wiki didn't mention nutritive values of rhubarb, except for its mild laxative and astringent properties. Will have to do more research. ^_^
I'd go for Germany but then I'm biased.
That rhubarb strips in green and raspberry swirls just look sex-say... ;)
Fuki is cooked by simmering it in water with sake, mirin and soy sauce (the usual 3 ingredients used in most Japanese dishes)until soft.
Kenny, you would go for Germany. There's a T-shirt in Switz that says, 'I support the Swiss team and any team that beats Germany.' Yeah, there is a bit of anti-Germ sentiments here (or an inferiority complex, some might say).
Wonda, it sounds yummy yet somehow healthy. Mmm, now I've to go find out what exactly mirin is.
I love rhubarb! I'm bookmarking this recipe to try out! mmmmmmm.
Eh, hi, WokandSpoon! Welcome back. How is mummyhood treating you?
Yes, rhubarb is wonderful. (I've seen savoury recipes to try too - just working up the courage first.)
Hello! I'm still adjusting to the new role and suffering from a lack of sleep but apart from that, things are great!
How are you?
As for rhubarb, I love eating it but never knew how to prepare it!
Other half and I are fine here, thanks. I love discovering the taste of and recipes using all these ingredients new to me. Ever eaten rhubarb stewed with pork ribs or lamb?
Argus,
Mirin is sweet sake with less alcohol content. It's thick and a little sticky due to the sugar content.
I must try your recipe as rhubarb is one of the few plants surviving in my rather dismal vege patch! :)
Wonda, I did look it up. Thanks!
TH, I wish I had a rhubarb patch. Have you ever made rhubarb jam? You can also use rhubarb to cook stews and such - just look up recipes on the 'Net.
Tunku Halim with a vege patch too? Maybe I should start one too, what with all the home cooking I've been doing.
Btw, I've signed up for Nigel and Allan's baking class this Sat... Meena too... expect inneresting posts after that, hehe.
Good on you, Kenny the Domesticated Perfectionistic Writer!
My 'vege patch' on the postage-stamp-size balcony only consists of sage, basil and mint at the mo'.
I like the Italians and the Spanish :)
The crust on the pie is enticing.
Well, the Italians are playing against the Spanish tomorrow night. Tonight is Dutch total football against the Russians. The tulips will soak up the vodka, I predict. ^_^
And, yes, the crumble crust is pretty tasty, goes well with the sour rhubarb.
Hey dear, it's been AWHILE... Hope you're doing okay... and if you are, how come NO BLOG POSTS? :(
Do you happen to be on Facebook, by the way? Must find way to keep in touch ma...
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