Kielbasa is a catchall name for an assortment of highly seasoned Polish and eastern European sausages. Traditionally made with pork, kielbasa (or "kielbasi") can also contain veal, beef and lamb.
Most kielbasa sold in U.S. grocery stores comes in the form of a long, lightly smoked link that resembles a thick, U-shaped hot dog. In Poland, this type of kielbasa is called wiejska, which means "country one." Kielbasa is spiced with garlic, onion, marjoram, and caraway and/or mustard seed. Allspice and paprika could work as well.
Recipe: Kielbasa With Lentils (Cookthink)
Recipe: Braised Kielbasa With Kale (Cookthink)
Reference: Why is it called kielbasa? (Cookthink)
The root of "kielbasa" is the Turkish külbasti, which means "grilled cutlet." That's how you'll sometimes see it on Turkish menus. At one point, the Turkish Ottoman Empire covered most of central and eastern Europe, and its culinary (and linguistic) influence still lingers.
A latke is a potato pancake. Most people think of the potato pancake as a Jewish dish, but potato pancakes of some sort exist in potato-eating cultures around the world.
Your basic latke is made by frying grated potatoes in oil until nicely browned on both sides, and seasoning them with salt and pepper. Some latke recipes add egg, chopped or grated onion, minced garlic, milk, melted butter or herbs and spices to the preparation.
Latkes can be eaten plain as a snack, with a side salad, topped with applesauce or sour cream, as an accompaniment to roasted meats, or with a fried egg on top. The French sometimes serve potato galettes with coq au vin. The Poles stuff them with goulash. Jews eat them during Hannukah, but only because they are fried, not because they play a special role in the religious holiday. The Swedes add grated potatoes to a pancake batter, while Germans and Austrians eat them with garlic, salt and butter.
Potato pancakes can also be made by simply dropping a pile of grated potatoes into hot oil and frying until browned and cooked through, then seasoning them with salt and pepper while they're still hot.
Related: Brys' Latkes With Fried Eggs And Caviar (Cookthink blog)
Video: How to make potato latkes (Handmade TV)
Not to be confused with the similar-sounding strudel (a famous Viennese pastry), streusel is a crumbly, crunchy dessert topping that's common in Central Europe.
A mixture of flour, butter and sugar—plus optional flavorings like cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon zest or nuts—it's sprinkled atop coffee cakes, muffins, fruit-based crumbles and other sweets before baking. (The word is derived the German verb "to scatter.")
Streusel is also the name of a round Alsatian brioche covered in sweet shortcrust pastry and sometimes filled with cream.
Reference: What is a crumble? (Cookthink)
Recipe: Maple Plum Crumble (Cookthink)
what you should know
Pale, homely and modestly dressed, sauerkraut may not be the most fetching vegetable dish in the world.
But underappreciated fermented cabbage is more than just a doormat for hot dogs or a classic reuben on rye.
hello sailor A recession-friendly dish with a storied past, sauerkraut is said to have been invented to preserve cabbage throughout the winter months. And it once nourished scurvy-fearing European explorers on the high seas.
heading west Popular in Germany, France and all over northern and central Europe, sauerkraut means "sour cabbage" in German. But if we've been using the German name for pickled cabbage since the 1600s, the Chinese were apparently eating sauerkraut more than 2,000 years ago. And Genghis Khan is said to have brought sauerkraut to Europe in the 13th century.
cheap date During this long winter of our economic discontent, why not cozy up to sauerkraut? Tangy, salty and vitamin C-packed, sauerkraut costs little and is surprisingly adaptable in everything from one-dish meals to dessert.
what you need
You can buy prepared sauerkraut in cans, jars or plastic bags in the refrigerator section of the supermarket.Jarred sauerkraut can keep for several years, while bagged sauerkraut should be eaten within a few weeks.
To make homemade sauerkraut, all you need is cabbage, salt, a few weeks and one of these handy crocks (or a heavy-duty, non-reactive stockpot).
A set of silicone tongs will help to preserve the flavor of your homemade sauerkraut.
Homemade sauerkraut kept air-tight and under 60F will keep for months, though it tastes best fresh.
You can make sauerkraut from finely slicing any kind of cabbage -- green red, Napa or savoy. A mandoline makes this an easy task.
Using a green-and-red cabbage combo will lend your sauerkraut a pinkish hue.
When choosing cabbage, look for firm leaves with well-defined veins. Cabbages should feel heavy for their size.
Until you're ready to use it, refrigerate cabbage covered tightly in plastic wrap.
what you do
Germans and Alsatians like to flavor sauerkraut with juniper berries, white wine or kirsch and use it as a foil for pork in a one-dish choucroute garnie. And the French specialty choucroute de la mer swaps seafood for pork in a surprising and delicate twist on the classic.
Don't have time to make an elaborate choucroute?Try this time-saving microwaved version. Or whip up a quicky, hearty dish of sauerkraut with beer-braised sausages.
Sauerkraut also works well as a side dish -- flavored with bacon and simmered in Champagne or mixed into a creamy dilled potato salad flecked with lemon zest. A warm sauerkraut and red pepper slaw is spicy, tangy and sweet.
Mixed with browned onions and mushrooms, sauerkraut makes a warm bed for a Polish-inspired dish of comforting winter pierogi. Northern Italians like to add sauerkraut to bean soup.
Featured recipe: Nobody will ever guess that fermented cabbage is the secret ingredient that adds body and moisture to this all-American rich chocolate cake.
