Just today, it occurred to me that I have never much studied Belgian food. So I was looking on Amazon for a Belgian cookbook and ran across this one:
I had not heard of it and was considering getting it, sight unseen, but I resisted. I thought that I could first do some research online about the foodways of Belgium.
A couple of days ago, I brought a pile of books downstairs, getting ready to add them to my Book of the Day list that I send out via Twitter. I wanted to get the citations entered so that I could put the books back. I glanced over at the one on the top of the pile, and this is what I had unwittingly pulled:
La Cuisine Chantraine: The Complete Collection of Original Recipes Created at the Restaurant Chantraine in Brussels by Charles Chantraine (Barrows, 1966).What a goofball I am.
So, what's in this small volume? French food, essentially, dishes such as Hot liver pâté canapés, Cold braised celery with anchovies, Cherry consommé, Pear salad with celeriac, Grilled chicken with green herb sauce, Wild game with chestnuts, and Strawberries with port and currant jelly sauce. As Belgium shares a border with France, this is not surprising. I'm sure, though, that traditional Belgian foods reflect its bordering Germany just as much. Belgium is known for its beer as well as its chocolate, so I can only imagine that I will find delicious sausages there, and hearty potato dishes, as well as delicately sauced shellfish and refined pastries. It should be a wonderful conglomeration of the best of Western European foods. I am so excited to find out first-hand!
Here's a very simple dessert recipe from La Cuisine Chantraine.
La Dessert de Marcelle
Bananas and Cream
To serve four:
4 bananas
3/4 cup heavy cream
Juice of 2 lemons
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
Mash thoroughly or sieve the bananas. Mix them with the cream, and blend in the lemon juice, strained, and sugar to taste. Chill thoroughly.
Serve very cold in small goblets or parfait glasses, with lady fingers.
