KACHEN 29 - Winter 2021 - EN

WINTER

E NG LI S H E DI TI O N

WINTER DELIGHTS Celebrating together

65

ONAL SEASCIPES RE

No. 29

12 €

SEASONAL

CELEBR ATE & ENJOY

WELLBEING

CHESTNUTS, TOPINAMBUR FEATURE: CHOCOLATE QUICK RECIPES

FESTIVE MENU NO WASTE: DELICIOUS LEFTOVERS FESTIVE DIY IDEAS

WINTER BLUES NORDIC COCOONING LOW-CARB DIET

UNPLUG & UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY

The KitchenAid Cordless Collection packs all the power you expect without the cord, giving you the freedom to chop, blend and mix anywhere in the kitchen. www.kitchenaid.lu

EDITORIAL

Dear Readers, Are you already excited about the holidays? This Christmas will be a very special one! Finally, we can get together with family and friends once more to celebrate, pamper and indulge ourselves, have fun and relax with others.

Normally, December is a really hectic month, with the prospect of having a little quiet time between Christmas and New Year. Don’t stress and take it easy. Over the next few pages, we offer you some great seasonal recipes, an elegant and easy-to-recreate Christmas lunch or New Year dinner and tips for using leftovers, as well as a lot of interesting reading material for a few cosy hours on the sofa.

For anyone preferring to escape to warmer (or just different) climes for the holidays, there is the new REESEN, which you will find – just like KACHEN – at your newsagent and which is full of travel ideas, near and far. Take a look, because even if you prefer to stay at home, you can still travel in your dreams!

The KACHEN team, meanwhile, is busy finding ideas and there are so many new things that we would like to tell you about soon, starting with the KACHEN TastyBox, the KACHEN Club and... you’ll have to wait to discover it all over the coming months!

Enjoy reading the magazine, stay healthy and we’ll see you for the spring edition!

Happy Holidays!

Bibi Wintersdorf and the entire team at KACHEN

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The last two years have taught us what true luxury is (in addition to good health): spending time with the people we love, in a place we feel good. And because we’ve spent a lot of time in our own four walls, we have been tempted to reorganise everything. DIY is not only popular in the kitchen, but in every aspect of life. In a short space of time, the pandemic has turned us all into interior designers. We don’t necessarily want a completely new house, but in the past 18 months, small inconveniences have become annoyances. If only we had a calm, separate space for working, or even our own office that we didn’t have to share, instead of using the living room table, which has now become a high-tech desk, and having to eat at the coffee table! How lovely it would be to have a garden where we could switch off, take a breath and relax a little! City life has definitely lost its appeal and new living trends are moving towards luxurious interior design. Luxury in this case doesn’t mean gold and bling, but warm, high-quality and above all natural materials and first-class craftsmanship.

Let’s use the festive season to embellish our homes even more, to make our celebrations even more refined and our exchanges with our nearest and dearest even more loving.

We’ve all earned a little bit of luxury, haven’t we? Forget for a second the impending climate disaster and seize and savour the moment. We have allowed ourselves to drift, always looking forward, and we have nearly forgotten to make the most of the here and now and to enjoy the beauty around us.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

SUMMARY

26 31 36 52 90 92

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94 56 104 KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

THE TEAM

— 07

RESTAURANT & SHOP NEWS NEWS

— 10

PRODUCTS WE LOVE BOOKS

— 12

— 176

FOODOSCOPE

— 182

IMPRINT

The perfect festive table

LEFTOVERS

— 28

What to do with festive leftovers

by Eloïse Jennes

Fast feasts

BLOG AWARD

Grilled ice cream bomb

—

Chocolate 44 Bertrand’s chocolate delights

GLUTEN-FREE

Sugar pie by Anne Lommel

— 90

— 92

— 94

RESTAURANT PORTRAIT Café de Paris, a timeless café

— 96

VEGETARIAN

— 56

STEP BY STEP

— 58

— 100

— 60

Sweet Christmas by Yves Jehanne

SEASONAL FRUIT Chestnuts

Pan-fried foie gras by Sébastien Perrot

— 64

SEASONAL VEGETABLE Topinambour

— 104

FEATURE

Turkish manti by Reyhan Gül

Hungry Pigeon Cookies

— 54

COVER STORY

— 98

MADE IN LUXEMBOURG

RECIPE

Cinnamon rolls by Ursula Schersch

The adventures of Sébastien Perrot

EXPAT RECIPE

— 52

Lentil & bacon casserole by Eloïse Jennes

Organic king’s cake by Bakhaus

Veal & crayfish tartar by Louis Scholtès

CHEF’S MASTER CLASS

— 48

Pumpkin waffle with poached egg

by Sandrine Pingeon

Palatinate cabbage rolls by the family Szydlowski

PORTRAIT OF A CHEF

— 42

FEATURE

— 184

TYPICALLY LUXEMBOURGISH

MY LUXEMBOURG

— 34

WINTER BARBECUE

— 185

GRANNY’S RECIPE

— 20

BLACK & GOLD

QUICK MEALS

— 14

RECIPE DIRECTORY

LUXE MBOURG

— 08

R EC IPE S

M AG A ZINE

SUMMARY

— 106

— 70

— 76

A filling for a fantastic feast

KNOWLEDGE BITES

— 82

ART

— 108

Monique Becker

ARTISTS

— 110

AGENDA

— 114

4 artists at a glance

DO IT YOURSELF

— 84

Christmas crafts with Heike Meyers

KACHEN WITH KIDS Rainbow pasta salad

— 87

Cultural agenda

DESIGN

— 118

Simply beautiful

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INS PIR AT ION

Truffle culture in Luxembourg

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

H A PPY HOUR

VINTNER FAMILIES

SUS TA IN A B ILIT Y

SUMMARY

PASSIONATE

— 124

121

Schlink Domaine viticole

— 130

SHAKE IT BABY!

Cocktails by Wengler

FEATURE

Rare Champagne Calvados 136

—

— 134

— 140

Reading with a difference

CONSUME DIFFERENTLY

— 142

Doing things differently in chocolate

GREEN KITCHEN Vegetable recycling

— 144

PASSIONATE

— 150

INFO-INTOX

— 152

160

Celebrate “Slow Food Heroes”

Oh Christmas tree

KNOWLEDGE BITES

WE LLB E ING

Bees in winter

LIVING BETTER

— 154

— 156

Healthy winter drinks

DO IT YOURSELF

— 157

Fight winter’s ailments

BEAUTY

— 158

Scentsational

WELLBEING Winter blues

WEBTALK

Pyt med det!

COLUMN

172

— 160

— 164

— 166

LUXEMBOURG —

168

Yves Radelet, aroma virtuoso

THINK VEGETABLES! THINK FRUIT!® We’re Smart Green Guide

— 171

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ON TOUR

No carbs? No problem!

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

T HE T E A M

TEAM

SARAH BRAUN Born in 1983 in France, Sarah was lucky enough to be a teenager during the 90s: a wonderful decade where smartphones did not yet exist. All she had to go on was MTV, magazines, books and her fountain pen to distract herself. It was during this archaic period that her vocation for writing was born.

She was to be a journalist.

Life intervenes, but when you want something very badly, the universe often gives you a nudge in the right direction. This is how she ended up taking her first steps as part of the editorial staff of Femmes Magazine.

After seven incredible, exhilarating years, she is ready to fly on her own. Now working as a freelancer, she writes about her favourite subjects: literature, gastronomy and wellbeing.

Sarah lives in Metz and has a very pretty corgi who goes by the cute name of Thelma.

VANESSA SCHMIT After 16 years at RTL Luxembourg, it was time for a new challenge. And Vanessa always masters such challenges with a smile on her face.

Now, she is the first contact for our readers and partners.

Whether it’s about subscriptions or any other questions, Vanessa always knows how to help – and does so with friendliness and expertise. She is the calming influence of the KACHEN team, manages the KACHEN office and takes care of everything from organisation to bookkeeping, and even lends a hand with photo shoots because she has a good eye when it comes to design and decoration. Speaking of KACHEN, do you already have a subscription? ;-)

YANNICK BURROWS After studying business administration and marketing in Brussels, travelling around Australia and Asia, he decided to settle in Luxembourg and become our Digital Content Manager. Always on his phone, no one really knows what he does, but it sure seems like our online community appreciates his hard work. Passionate about food – mainly eating and not necessarily cooking – he’s always on the hunt for the latest restaurants and food trends. You’re not subscribed to our weekly newsletter? Well, you’re clearly missing out, as Yannick ensures the timely delivery of delicious recipes, the latest news and exciting articles to your mailbox. Check it out and make yourself – and Yannick – happy.

PHOTO Ramunas Astrauskas CAKE Yv e s Jeh a n ne

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STYLING K ACHEN

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

R E STAU R A N T & SHOP N E WS

LES ROSES

6, Rue du Fort Niedergruenewald — L-2015 Luxembourg

Rue Th. Flammang — L-5618 Mondorf-Les-Bains

Tél. +352 / 43 77 61

Tél. +352 / 26 61 12 13

defeierwon.lu

casino2000.lu

In a tribute to one of Luxembourg’s most iconic songs, the restaurant of the same name specialises in grilled meats and prides itself on using regional and seasonal products, demonstrating the best that Luxembourgish cuisine has to offer. In stark contrast to its previous design, which was strongly reminiscent of a traditional alpine restaurant, the new concept, designed

by Philippe Capron, is now characterised by its warm and elegant interior, blending richly painted wood with exuberant colours and soft velvet dotted with gold.

As for the kitchen, the team led by Chef Yann Castano offer a showcase of the best of Luxembourgish gastronomy. With an emphasis to highlight local and regional produce, the basis for a regularly changing menu is composed of fresh and traditional specialities that have been revisited on the grill. To ensure regional and excellent quality of their produce, De Feierwon works in close collaboration with local farmers and producers, such Les Paniers de Sandrine and the butchers Guy Kirsch and Maison Steffen.

CASINO 2OOO is constantly renewing itself and combines all the elements for year-round fun. The company has taken advantage of the special period of the last few months to introduce a number of new features. At the beginning of September, Les Roses restaurant was given a new, bright, elegant and designer interior. The magnificent round dining hall and its vast and luminous bay window have been completely overhauled in the style of a winter garden. This new interior is in perfect harmony with the cuisine of Chef Francois Jagut, who took the helm a little over a year ago. The menu, as always, champions the modern creations of François Jagut and the seasonal produce. Lobster, Wagyu and even chocolate will also complement this new experience at Les Roses.

An exceptional and quality cuisine with seasonal products that deserve an exceptional setting.

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DE FEIERWON

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

R E STAU R A N T & SHOP N E WS

L A TABLE DE L’EPICERIE

LËNSTER KELLER

1a, rue de Reckange — L-3943 Mondercange

1, rue de la Gare — L-6117 Junglinster

Tél. +352 / 26 55 02 33

latable.lu

Lënster Keller, the new Wine Bar and Boutique opened by Maxime Bohic and Frédéric Vuillemin, chef of the Becher Gare, welcomes you in a cosy atmosphere around a selection of wines from France, Luxembourg and elsewhere in Europe. Maxime and Fred are both passionate about simple pleasures and their goal is to help you discover wines and winemakers in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Regular changes according to the proposals of their winegrower friends will allow you to regularly discover their new productions. The concept is simple: customers choose a wine that they can consume on the spot or take it away to enjoy later. A vast choice of bottles from small producers at low prices, sometimes organic, can be tasted by the glass around terrines, foie gras, fish and smoked meats (provided by the Restaurant Becher Gare). A private lounge also allows you to organize events. Don’t miss the ephemeral oyster bar which is held on Saturday mornings during the month of December!

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La Table de l’Epicerie (formerly Klensch), the new restaurant of Pauline & Nicolas Szele, has just opened its doors in Mondercange. This new address is the 3rd one managed by the couple, after having officially taken over the management of the restaurant Le Fin Gourmand in Luxembourg city in September 2021 and after the opening, in 2020, of their delicatessen (L’Epicerie du Fin Gourmand) also located in Mondercange. In this establishment, the couple has imagined a place that corresponds 100% to their image. The room, with its wood and velvet structures mixing dark green and golden tones, has an “old-fashioned” atmosphere, very cosy. A touch of modernity is brought with a colourful, patterned wallpaper; eat in the company of parrots and multicoloured flowers. The kitchen is run by the young Chef Jonathan Martinez and his team, who are keen to offer a simple but masterful cuisine, with Luxembourgish and French dishes. The menu is voluntarily reduced, favouring seasonal products, in order to to renew it regularly.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

NEWS

G AULT & MILL AU Winners of the 2022 Edition of the Guide On the 25th of October, the winners of the new edition of the 100% Luxemburgish Guide, “Gault&Millau Luxembourg 2022” have been revealed. This guide (both in French and English) lists the restaurants and brasseries, but also “pop” addresses, the best bars in the country, the best chocolatiers, and a selection of the best wines in the Grand-Duchy, the “Stars of the Mosel.” This year, Ryodo KAJIWARA, chef of the restaurant “Ryôdô” in Luxembourg Hollerich, has been crowned “Chef of the Year 2022.”

The guide is available in bookstores. gaultmillau.lu

B E LV E DE R E The new range of organic & premium vodkas The certified Belvedere Organic Infusions range is made from all-natural, organic Polish fruits, plants and rye.

There are 3 different flavours: Pear & Ginger with a sharp and zesty taste, Blackberry & Lemongrass with a rich and vigorous flavour and Lemon & Basil which offers fresh and bright notes. All of these vodkas are sophisticated, varied and balanced and offer an entirely new taste experience. wengler.lu

OB E RWE IS A new Oberweis shop in Schifflange Located in the commercial center RedRock, this new shop is essentially a “Café by Oberweis”, a concept already adopted in Luxembourg City in the Grand-Rue and in Kirchberg, and appreciated by customers. Oberweis is offering a point of sale with a sophisticated and uncluttered decoration, a chic and modern design, and a recognisable visual identity in line with the other boutiques.

All the essential ingredients are provided for you to spend a pleasant moment in a welcoming and unique place, whether it is during your lunch break or for a quick stop to treat yourself with family and friends.

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oberweis.lu

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

PRODUCTS WE LOVE

V INSMOS E LLE POLL-FABAIRE crémant gets a new look To celebrate its 30th anniversary, the famous Luxembourgish crémant has modernised its label and adopted a new and fitting design: casual chic, elegant and seductive! The charm of its unique bubbles, however, remains unchanged. An important occasion, as it was exactly 30 years ago that the first POLL-FABAIRE bottle was launched on the market as Crémant de Luxembourg. Since 1991, the name “Crémant de Luxembourg” can be used for quality sparkling wines, white or rosé, that meet the strict conditions set by Luxembourg regulations. The grapes must, for example, be harvested by hand. The wines must also be made from whole grape pressings and the cuvée must rest uninterrupted on the lees for at least nine months in the same company... All these guidelines guarantee the quality of the wine, the respect of the environment and the authentic taste. vinsmoselle.lu/cremants-poll-fabaire

B IOG Just in time for raclette season, the BIOG Hofkäserei from Schanck-Haff is proud to introduce a new cheese delicacy, the Éisleker Bauerekéis. Matured for at least 7 weeks, it complements the already established “Éisleker Kéis” line with its velvety texture and fine, mild yet spicy aroma. Like all cheeses of the BIOG brand, the Bauerekéis is handmade using the best Luxembourgish Demeter milk. The new cheese is available at all cheese counters in Naturata organic supermarkets. biog.lu

MOUTA R DE R IE DE LUXE MBOURG Moutarderie de Luxembourg is expanding its product line with three new sauces to accompany winter dishes such as fondues, pierrades and raclettes. The “traditional” Aïoli, with its creamy texture and garlic flavour, will take your taste buds on a journey to the land of tapas, and is a perfect accompaniment to fish, vegetables or roast potatoes. The “Whisky” Cocktail sauce can be enjoyed as an aperitif with shrimp and raw vegetables or with a fondue bourguignonne or a pierrade. As for the “spicy” Samurai sauce, it will bring a fiery touch to many dishes and will please thrill seekers. Like all the other products of the Moutarderie de Luxembourg, these three new products are preservative-free, gluten-free and labelled “Made in Luxembourg.”

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moutarderie.lu

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

BOOKS

“GOLDE NE S G IF T ” A NE W CULIN A RY T HR ILLE R BY TOM HILLE NB R A ND

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PHOTO

Bogenberger Autorenfotos

Xavier Kieffer, a cook out of passion and an investigator against his will, lets his intuition take over again. The story once more takes the amateur detective from his homeland of Luxembourg around the world. After sushi, olives, coffee and chocolate, Tom Hillenbrand’s latest Xavier Kieffer novel involves a “golden poison,” aka honey. Just the right read for the holidays!

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

BOOKS

Tom Hillenbrand, what inspired your latest book?

TOM HILLENBRAND A good friend of mine is a beekeeper. When I received the first jar of home-made honey from her, a lightbulb flashed in my head. The honey came from Brandenburg, and I wondered where my usual supermarket honey actually came from. The answer was: everywhere, China, Romania, Mexico. So, I began to look more closely at the global honey market. It soon became clear to me that it would make a good thriller.

Similarities to real people are fictitious/ purely coincidental... Isn’t that true? How much of your story is true or have you experienced?

TOM HILLENBRAND The people are made-up, the methods and scandals are not. Most of it actually does take place somewhere in some form. A supermarket jar contains around a dozen different types of honey; it is hard to trace what comes from where. It’s probably deliberate. The self-experienced part is that for every book, I sample a load of products. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it!

Honey is globally one of the most adulterated foods and honey fraud is a global business

worth millions. How can you know whether honey is real and unadulterated, especially when it’s imported?

TOM HILLENBRAND As a consumer, it’s practically impossible. You can only hope that the food manufacturer that bottled your honey tests it rigorously for pesticides, added industrial sugar, etc. For example, there is insecticide residue in two thirds of honey. But even when a producer carries out tests, it must be said that the counterfeiters are becoming more and more resourceful. The struggle between swindlers and controllers is therefore a kind of technological arms race. Especially with finished products, with the words “with honey,” I would assume the worst.

Logically, we can’t stop ourselves from asking what the next topic will be. How about a hint?

TOM HILLENBRAND I have many more themes on the list, but I haven’t yet decided which one will be next.

One thing is certain: it will involve a murder. Before Xavier Kieffer investigates again, I’m writing a historical thriller set in Paris.

Don’t miss the opportunity to meet Tom Hillenbrand and participate in his live reading in Perl: Thursday, 09. December

PRIZE DRAW WE ARE GIVING AWAY 3 X ONE COPY OF THE BOOK „GOLDENES GIFT“ Send an e-mail with your name name, address and the subject line POISON to gewinnen@tasty.lu The winner will be chosen at random.

The closing date for entries is 01.02.2022.

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The legal process is excluded.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

BOOKS

WINTERGREEN & S TA R A N I S E A BOUT DECOR AT ING A ND COOK ING IN T HE F E S T IV E S E ASON There is a new book by Theresa Baumgärtner!

Our Blog Award jury member Theresa loves Christmas more than anything, so we’re not surprised that she wants to share her cooking and crafting tips for the festive season with all of us. We were also not surprised that our DIY and decoration expert Heike Meyers from @pfeffermachtgluecklich made a guest appearance in her book, after all, they know each other and share the same passion for beautifully decorated tables and delicious recipes. If you’ve always wanted to take a look behind the scenes of Theresa’s kitchen in the cosy “Hazelnut House” and get inspired, this book is highly recommended!

128 pages Verlag Brandstätter ISBN 978-3-7106-0547-5

WE ARE GIVING AWAY 3 X 1 COPIE OF THIS BOOK Just send an email with your name, address and the keyword STAR ANISE to gewinnen@tasty.lu

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The random principle decides.

Entries close on 01.02.2022 The legal process is excluded.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

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BOOKS

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

BOOKS

FAMILY COMFORTS Simple, Heartwarming Food to Enjoy Together — Rebecca Wilson —

Rebecca Wilson brings you an easyto-follow family recipe book that gives you the confidence to cook nutritious meals. Discover brilliant breakfasts, quick-cook snacks, and midweek meal ideas prepared in a matter of minutes. Enjoy simple home-cooked food, delicious bakes and family treats. Featuring over 100 comfort food recipes, this book also caters to your family’s dietary needs, with Gluten Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian and Vegan adaptations for each of the recipes.

240 pages — DK ISBN 978-0241534694

THREE INGREDIENT COCKTAILS 60 Drinks Made in Minutes — Kate Calder —

With 60 recipes, this book demonstrates that all the best cocktails are made with no more than three ingredients. Divided by main ingredient – gin, vodka, tequila, whisky, rum and sparkling wine – each drink can be whipped up in five minutes or less, with simple snack suggestions at the end of each chapter to pair with them. It also shows you how to make the most of a simple home bar set up, and how to turn your living room into an on-trend cocktail lounge.

160 pages — Hardie Grant ISBN 9781784884710

THE EXHIBITION — Cara Viola —

In her first novel, Cara Viola, one of KACHEN’s proofreaders and translators, follows Madeleine Yare – a talented woodworker navigating the earlier stages of her career in Glasgow, Scotland at the turn of the 20th century. Uprooted and alone in a brand new city, Madeleine begins to unravel the hidden motive behind her employment at Kelvingrove Museum. This novel has been shortlisted and highly commended for the Cinnamon Press Pencil Prize 2019 and longlisted for the Laxfield Literary Launch Prize 2020. Available in English bookstores.

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228 pages — Greenteeth Press ISBN 9781838393519

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

MY NEW TABLE Everyday Inspiration for Eating and Living — Trish Magwood —

A beautiful cookbook of fresh, simple, and seasonally inspired recipes for every table. In this new cookbook, Trish Magwood – chef, food and lifestyle entrepreneur and expert, and mom – shares the easy, seasonal, and delicious family recipes she has created to feed the three happy generations of family and friends who regularly revolve around her table. The recipes in My New Table use fresh, local ingredients that follow the rhythm of the seasons, paired with simple preparations so that their natural flavours shine.

288 pages — Appetite By Random House ISBN 9780525611240

PRIZE DRAW WE ARE GIVING AWAY 2 COPIES OF THE BOOK “THE EXHIBITION” AND 1 COPY OF “THREE INGREDIENT COCKTAILS”.

Just send an email with your name, address and the keyword BOOKS to gewinnen@tasty.lu The random principle decides.

Entries close on 01.02.2022 The legal process is excluded.

SEASONAL RECIPES

B L AC K & GOLD

T H E PE R F E C T F E S T IV E TA B LE

WINE PAIRING

SEASONAL RECIPES

It really doesn’t take all that much to transform a humble table into a festive wonder. Black and gold make a sophisticated pairing that instantly bathes everything in splendour. A few decorative shrubs from the garden, a beautiful potted plant, mini golden baubles in even larger baubles or jars, sleek candles, black and gold cutlery and a matching set of gold plates and black saucers, printed or handwritten menu cards and lovingly adorned cloth napkins all come together to create a stunning composition. Top it all off with the incredibly stylish tableware from PORDAMSA and your Christmas or New Year’s Eve table is complete. Now all that’s left to do is to recreate these delightful recipes by chef Patrice Noël!

PRIZE DRAW GOLD EMOTION How to transform any dish into a luxury dining experience.

The gold and silver mills from GOLD EMOTION are among the most luxurious accessories for the kitchen. They are worth the investment as they instantly upgrade any dish. We are giving away a set worth 245 €.

ROVA CAVIAR To create a truly festive occasion, you simply can’t do without caviar and champagne. ROVA CAVIAR is offering a prize box containing two tins of ROVA caviar and a bottle of Deutz champagne worth 250 €. The closing date is the 1st of February 2022, allowing you to enjoy both just in time for Valentine’s Day! Send an email with your name and address under the heading GOLD or ROVA to gewinnen@tasty.lu Submission deadline is 01.02.2022 The legal process is excluded.

goldemotion.com

rova-caviar.com

PA R S NIP V E LOU T É

W I T H NOT E S OF C OF F E E Serves 4

45 minutes

45 minutes

› 3 parsnips, peeled and diced › 60 g butter › 100 ml milk

› 6 coffee beans › Salt and pepper

1 Wash and peel the parsnips and cut into

3 Check on the progress and blend

large cubes.

2 Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the parsnips, moisten with water and add the milk.

After the first boil, season and add the coffee beans and cook for 45 minutes on low heat.

WINE PAIRING

L’Ame de la terre 2006 Françoise Bedel Champagne

the mixture.

4 Serve warm in a cup and add a few grated

coffee beans just before serving.

SEASONAL RECIPES

“G ROMPE R E K IC HE LC HE R”

POTATO PA NC A K E WIT H BA E R I DE ROVA C AV I A R

Serves 4 20 minutes 10 minutes

› › › › › › › › › ›

3 medium-sized potatoes 1 egg yolk 10 g butter 1 small onion A few sprigs of chives Salt and pepper 40 g ROVA caviar 4 tsp double cream Salt and pepper Edible gold leaves

1 Peel the potatoes and onion,

grate the potatoes and chop the onion.

2 In a bowl mix the potatoes, onion, chives and egg yolk. Season with salt and pepper.

3 Melt the butter in a frying pan and add a large spoonful of the mixture. Flatten with a spatula and cook both sides until golden.

Place on a paper towel and cut in half.

4 Place half a potato cake in a caviar tin or small flat plate, place a nice caviar quenelle next to it and place a spoonful of double cream on the potato cake.

Arrange the golden petals on top of the caviar.

WINE PAIRING

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Chassagne Montrachet 1er cru Domaine JN Gagnard White

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

SEASONAL RECIPES

ROA S T L A MB F ILLE T, A LMOND V IE NNE S E , ONION , B ROCCOLI & PA R S LE Y MOUS S E LINE

Serves 4 105 minutes 1 hour

› › › › › ›

1 saddle of lamb Salt, pepper and sugar Fleur de sel Butter 1 garlic clove 2 large white onions

For the broccoli

› 2 broccoli › 1 bunch of parsley › 50 g butter with half salt

RECIPES PHOTOS

Patrice Noël Ramunas Astrauskas

For the viennese

› › › ›

250 g butter 125 g ground almonds 2 egg yolks 10 g ground coffee

1 Mix the butter with the egg yolks, almonds, coffee and fleur de sel.

2

3

4 5

WINE PAIRING

6 7

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Solen 2013 - Red Domaine les Aurelles Languedoc, Pézenas

Spread the mixture between 2 sheets of baking paper and set aside in the refrigerator.

Remove the first layer of skin from the onions, cut them in half, season with a pinch of salt and sugar, place in a pan on the flat side and bake in the oven at 150°C for 1.5 hours, covered.

Wash the broccoli heads and cook them in a pan of boiling salted water for about 7 minutes, then cool them in iced water to fix the colour.

Blend the broccoli, add the parsley, salted butter and ground pepper.

Fillet the lamb saddle, i.e., debone the saddle from the top to remove the fillets.

Sear the meat in a non-stick pan on all sides (brown the meat). Add a whole clove of garlic to the pan, add a knob of butter and cook in the oven at 170°C for 6 –7 minutes, then leave the meat to rest for 3 minutes.

Spread the Viennoiserie on the meat and put it in the oven on the grill setting to obtain a crust.

Place a spoonful of broccoli purée on each plate and add half a roasted onion. Cut the saddle of lamb into slices and arrange on the plates.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

White dishes:

www.pordamsa.com

SEASONAL RECIPES

P OAC H E D PE A R S

WIT H SA F F RON & C HOCOL AT E SAUC E

Serves 4 35 minutes 25 minutes

For the pears

› › › › › ›

4 pears ½ lemon ½ vanilla pod 6 g saffron 200 g sugar 600 ml water

For the chocolate sauce

› › › › › ›

100 g dark chocolate (70%) 100 ml milk 20 g butter 30 g caster sugar 1 tbsp crème fraiche Vanilla ice cream or pear sorbet

1 Peel the pears, rub them with the

2

3

4

WINE PAIRING

5

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Riesling Marienburg «Fahrlay» Vintage 2019 - White Clemens Buch

lemon juice. Put the water, sugar, saffron and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Add the pears to the mixture and poach over a low heat for 20 – 25 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the fruit.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, gently, turning with a spatula.

Add the milk and butter cut into pieces. Add the icing sugar and cream and mix thoroughly. Set aside at room temperature.

Cut up the pears, hollow them out and place one half on each soup plate. Put a scoop of ice cream or sorbet inside and cover with the chocolate sauce.

The photo series was shot at the restaurant De Gaart at the hotel INNSiDE by Meliá. www.melia.com

SEASONAL RECIPES

W H AT TO DO W I T H F E S T IV E

LE F TOV E R S ?

When it comes to leftover vegetables, they are easily transformed into a soup, a gratin or a salad in no time. You could even use them as pizza toppings. Turkey lends itself to be shredded using two forks and is a great complement to most dishes. Think about stews, curries or even scrumptious mid-day sandwiches. By far the most versatile ingredient to integrate into any dish is cheese. Melt it into a homemade mac and cheese, grate it as a topping for pasta, use it in quiches or freeze it for another day – your options are boundless.

To help you get started, the KACHEN team has developed 4 delicious leftover recipes that require a minimal list of additional ingredients: a cheesy Christmas toastie, an uncomplicated vegetable gratin with brie cheese, the best shredded turkey shakshuka and sweet overnight oats with cranberry sauce. You can, of course, also adjust the ingredients according to the leftovers you have in the fridge – dare to be creative!

DON’T THROW AWAY THE TURKEY CARCASS!

Use the bones to make chicken stock. Simply simmer the turkey carcass with an onion, a carrot, and a stem of leek in 2 l of water for 2 hours. Strain until it comes out clear.

Enjoy as is, use it to cook pasta, or add it to cream sauces.

TOP THREE TIPS TO STORE CHRISTMAS LEFTOVERS • Make sure to store leftovers appropriately in air-tight containers. Writing dates on the containers can be helpful if you host several dinners in a row.

• To freeze leftovers, divide everything into smaller portions for quicker defrosting and reheating times.

• Refrigerate sauces, dressings and stuffing separately.

HOW LONG CAN YOU STORE CHRISTMAS LEFTOVERS?

• Turkey and baked ham can be stored in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. Make sure to remove the turkey meat from the bones before refrigerating.

• Cranberry sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

• Mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables can be refrigerated for approximately 3 days.

• Bread should be consumed within 1 or 2 days.

You can also toast it and make breadcrumbs that you can store in the fridge for 1 month.

• Drink open wine bottles within the next 3 – 5 days.

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T E X T, R ECI PES & PHOTOS

Eloïse Jennes

If you’ve ever hosted a dinner party during the holidays, you probably know the struggle with leftovers. Wanting to ensure that all your guests get their fill, you cook way too much and are left with a bursting fridge. But hey! That doesn’t mean that you have to eat Christmas turkey for a week or coleslaw on repeat. Let your creativity spark and turn these leftovers into new and exciting dishes – make it fun!

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

R AC L E T T E - C H E E S E

TOA S T IE

Serves 2

15 minutes

Leftovers

› Any type of white meat (turkey, veal)

› Red cabbage or coleslaw › 8 slices of raclette cheese or other melting cheese

Additional ingredients

› 8 slices of toast bread › Butter › 1 jar of pickles

10 minutes 1 Cut the meat into thin slices.

2 Spread butter on one side of

8 slices of toast bread.

3 Top with sliced meat, a

tablespoon of red cabbage or coleslaw, 2 slices of raclette cheese, pickles and another slice of bread.

4 Grill in a preheated toastiemaker or in a hot pan until the bread is crisp and golden.

SEASONAL RECIPES

V E G E TA B LE G R AT IN

WITH BRIE

Serves 4 10 minutes 15 minutes

Leftovers

› 600 g roasted vegetables

(squash, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celery root) › 4 tbsp cranberry sauce › 1 slice of bread (optional) › Fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme) Additional ingredients

› › › ›

1 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper 150 g Brie cheese 1 handful of pine nuts

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. 2 If necessary, cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a large baking dish.

Drizzle with olive oil, cranberry sauce and season with salt and pepper.

3 Cut the Brie into slices and place them on top of the vegetables. Add the pine nuts.

Optionally scatter with breadcrumbs that you made from toasted, leftover bread.

4 Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the brie is slightly melted and vegetables are warm.

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Top with fresh herbs.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

T UR K E Y

S H A K S HUK A Serves 4 Leftovers

› 200 g turkey › Fresh herbs (parsley, basil) › Leftover bread Additional ingredients

› › › › › › › › ›

Olive oil 1 onion 1 bell pepper 1 can of diced tomatoes (400 g) 6 eggs 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp paprika powder ¼ tsp garlic powder Salt and pepper

10 minutes

20 minutes

1 Chop the onion. Wash and seed the bell pepper.

Dice.

2 Shred the cooked turkey using two forks.

3 Heat a large pan with olive oil. When hot, sauté

onion and the bell peppers for 5 minutes over medium-high heat.

4 Pour the diced tomatoes with their juice into the pan. Season with cumin, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in the shredded turkey. Simmer for 5 minutes over medium-high heat.

5 Make dwells and crack the eggs in. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 – 8 minutes.

6 Garnish with fresh herbs that you previously washed and chopped. Serve with some toasted leftover bread.

SEASONAL RECIPES

OR ANGE OVERNIGHT OATS

WI T H C R A NB E R RY SAUC E

Serves 2 10 minutes 1 night / 4 hours

Leftovers

› 4 tbsp cranberry sauce › Fresh or frozen berries Additional ingredients

› › › › ›

80 g rolled oats 20 g chia seeds 200 ml orange juice 2 tsp maple syrup (optional) 4 tbsp Greek yogurt

1 Divide the oats and chia seeds

into two small jars or containers.

2 Add the orange juice. Give it a

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good stir and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

3 In the morning, stir in the yoghurt and top with cranberry sauce and berries.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

PA RTNE R R ECI PE

ORG A NIC S TOLLE N

BY BA K H AUS WIT H B IOG S TOF F I 2 stollen

For the syrup

› › › ›

100 g water 100 g cane sugar 4 tsp rum ½ tsp amaretto

1 hour

35 minutes

For the dough

› › › › › › ›

330 g wheat flour (type 550) 1 small egg A pinch of sea salt 80 g cane sugar 100 g butter ½ tsp baking powder 100 g BIOG Stoffi (organic curd)

› › › › › › ›

1 tsp vanilla sugar 60 g sultana raisins 60 g currants 100 g candied orange peel 700 g ground almonds ½ tsp gingerbread spice 20 g icing sugar

You can find all ingredients in best organic quality at NATURATA supermarkets.

and Stoffi bit by bit and knead thoroughly to combine.

sprinkle with cane sugar.

6 Once completely cooled, sprinkle with icing sugar.

7 The stollen can be stored for several weeks and only

develop their full aroma after a while.

Enia Haeck

The dough 1 Combine the dry ingredients, then add the butter, egg

baking tray.

4 Bake at 180°C for 35 minutes.

5 Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter and

PHOTO

the specified liquids over medium heat, dissolve the cane sugar, stirring constantly, and soak the dried fruit (sultanas and currants) and candied orange in it.

Remove from the heat and place aside.

2 Drain and add the preserved fruits.

3 Form two stollen from the dough and place on a

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The syrup 1 Prepare the syrup the day before. To do this, heat

FAST FE ASTS Hearty and soul-warming dishes in 30 minutes or less.

ROAS T C HIC K E N T HIG HS WIT H G R E E N POLE NTA Serves 4

15 minutes

15 minutes

MISO NOODLE SOUP WIT H MUS HROOMS & G ING E R Serves 4

› › › › › › › › › › ›

10 minutes

15 minutes

› 2 tbsp coarsely chopped thyme › 2 tbsp coarsely chopped oregano, › › › › › ›

12 g instant dashi 80 g shiro (white) miso paste 1 tbsp finely grated ginger 200 g shiitake mushrooms, halved 50 g oyster mushrooms, torn 50 g enoki mushrooms 1 tbsp dried seaweed 300 g green tea soba noodles 150 g silken tofu, diced 1 bunch English spinach, trimmed Thinly sliced spring onions, torn nori and roasted sesame seeds, to serve

› › › ›

plus extra to serve Zest of ½ lemon Juice of 1 lemon 3 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 8 chicken thighs, on the bone 200 g mixed dark-green leaves, such as kale and spinach, coarsely chopped 500 ml chicken stock 200 g instant polenta 50 g parmesan, finely grated 200 g mascarpone

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Biltz the herbs, lemon

1 Bring 1 l of water to a simmer in a

saucepan, add the dashi and simmer for 4 – 5 minutes to let the flavour develop. Whisk in the miso, add ginger, mushrooms, seaweed and simmer for another 4 – 5 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a separate saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender (2 – 3 minutes), then drain and divide among serving bowls.

3 Add tofu and spinach to miso mixture, stir to wilt, then ladle mixture over noodles and served topped with spring onion, nori and sesame seeds.

rind, 2 garlic cloves and olive oil in a food processor to combine, season to taste and add half the lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl, add chicken, massage to coat well, then spread on a large baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for 15 – 18 minutes until browned and cooked through.

2 Meanwhile, blanch the greens until wilted, drain and refresh, then blitz in a food processor with the remaining garlic to a purée.

3 Bring stock and 300 ml water to the boil in a saucepan, add the polenta, whisking continuously, then season generously to taste. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 – 4 minutes, whisking, until thick and smooth. Remove from the heat, whisk in the parmesan, then combine the green purée and mascarpone.

4 To serve, divide the green polenta among serving bowls.

Squeeze remaining lemon over the roast chicken, place on top of the polenta, drizzle with roasting juices and serve hot scattered with extra oregano.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

35

QUICK MEALS

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

36

QUICK MEALS

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

QUICK MEALS

F IV E C HE E S E S & H A M T R IPLE -DEC K E R TOAS T IE Serves 2

› › › › › › › › ›

15 minutes

PUMPK IN PIL A F WIT H R ICOT TA & PE PITAS Serves 4

10 minutes

20 minutes

8 minutes

200 g firm ricotta 75 g vintage cheddar, coarsely grated 75 g provolone picante, coarsely grated 75 g parmesan, finely grated 6 slices sourdough bread 4 thin slices ham 200 g buffalo mozzarella, thickly sliced 40 g butted, diced Dijon mustard, to taste

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Stir ricotta, cheddar,

provolone and parmesan in a bowl to combine and season to taste. Spread two of the bread slices in the mixture, then top each with another bread slice.

Spread with mustard to taste, top with ham, then mozzarella and season to taste. Sandwich with remaining bread.

2 Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, add sandwiches and fry 1 – 2 minutes until brown on the base. Carefully turn over to brown the other side, then transfer to the oven and bake a few minutes until the cheese is bubbling. Top the toasties with the butter from the frying pan and serve hot with mustard.

› › › › › › › › › › › ›

50 ml olive oil 100 g butter, diced 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 180 g basmati rice 500 ml hot vegetable stock 400 g peeled and seeded pumpkin, diced 2 thyme sprigs 2 tsp coarsely chopped thyme, to serve 2 ½ tbsp pepitas Zest and juice of ½ lemon 200 g ricotta

1 Heat oil and 40 g butter in a wide saucepan over

medium-high heat until the butter foams, add the onion and half the garlic and sauté 3 – 4 minutes until tender. Stir in the rice to coat well in oil, then add the stock, pumpkin, thyme sprigs and 100 ml of boiling water. Season to taste and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with tight-fitting lid and cook without uncovering for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stand for 5 minutes without uncovering.

2 Meanwhile, cook the remaining butter for 2 – 3 minutes in a saucepan over medium-high heat until nut brown. Remove from the heat, stir in the pepitas, lemon zest and remaining garlic and season to taste, then stir in the lemon juice.

3 Spoon ricotta onto pilaf, drizzle with the pepita mixture, scatter with thyme and serve hot.

QUICK MEALS

B R A IS E D WHIT E B E A NS WIT H C HOR IZO Serves 4 › › › › › ›

60 ml olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 1 celery stalk, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp paprika

1 Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large

38

saucepan over medium-high heat, add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for 4 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent. Stir in the paprika, thyme and bay leaf, sauté until fragrant, add stock and tomato,

15 minutes › › › › ›

15 minutes

3 thyme sprigs 1 fresh bay leaf 250 ml chicken stock 200 g canned chopped tomatoes 800 g canned white beans, drained and rinsed

season to taste and bring to the boil.

Add beans, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 4 – 5 minutes until well flavoured. Discard thyme and bay leaf, stir in vinegar, season to taste and keep warm.

2 Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high

› 2 tsp sherry vinegar › 4 fresh chorizo › Oregano, parsley and crusty bread to serve

heat, add chorizo and fry for 4 – 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, then slice thickly.

Top the bowls of braised beans with the chorizo, scatter with oregano and parsley, and serve with crusty bread.

ADVERTORIAL

MOUTARDERIE DE LUXEMBOURG A N E XPA NDE D R A NG E TO T HE DE LIG HT OF CONSUME R S of garlic that offer a very pronounced taste. It tastes great with vegetables, fish or simply spread on toast. Try it and you won’t regret it! The Cocktail sauce, subtly spiced with whisky, is a great classic with a fondue bourguignonne or as an aperitif with shrimps or raw vegetables. The Samurai is like a tomato and chili mayonnaise, with chunks of red peppers. It adds a spicy touch to many dishes and pairs especially well with grilled red meat or French fries.

It is also perfect for a fondue evening, a raclette or to be served with grilled meat and vegetables.

You will soon be able to find original recipes developed

by Anne’s Kitchen and featuring the sauces of the Moutarderie de Luxembourg on their website.

On the eve of its 100th anniversary, the Moutarderie intends to continue to expand its range, and they already have a lot of ideas!

39

TEXT

Marion Finzi

Your fondues and raclettes will taste even better this winter thanks to the new Aïoli, Cocktail and Samouraï sauces recently introduced by Moutarderie de Luxembourg in their range of cold sauces. The idea of offering these three flavours was born about two years ago following a consumer survey. For a small family business like Moutarderie de Luxembourg, which develops recipes from A to Z, it takes a long time to come up with a final product that is totally satisfactory. The entire staff and their relatives were involved in the process of creating the recipes. After several months of development and testing to achieve the taste of “homemade” sauces, the right colour and the perfect texture, the sauces are now available in stores.

The recipe for the Aïoli sauce has been designed like a traditional aïoli, with a creamy texture and small pieces

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

PA RTNE R R ECI PES

MI N I C H IC K E N P OPS

WIT H G A R LIC K AC HK É IS SAUC E

Serves 4

500 g ground chicken 1 tbsp chopped garlic 2 tbsp olive oil 250 g green or red pepper, finely chopped 125 g mushrooms, finely chopped 125 g onions, finely chopped 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 egg

1 In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped chicken,

peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, breadcrumbs, whole milk, egg, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix all ingredients thoroughly by hand until smooth and form into walnut-sized balls.

2 Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Carefully place the meatballs in the pan, making sure there is enough space between them to cook evenly.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 9 – 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and keep warm in the oven at low heat.

20 minutes › › › › › › › ›

250 g breadcrumbs 3 tbsp whole milk 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp flour 190 ml whole milk 300 g EKABE Kachkéis with garlic ½ tsp salt and pepper Nutmeg, to taste

3 In the same large skillet, melt butter over medium

heat before adding flour. Stir until smooth, then add milk, stirring constantly. Add Ekabe Kachkéis with garlic and continue stirring until cheese is melted.

4 Place the chicken pops onto a plate and serve with the hot cheesy sauce.

TIP

These make for a great appetizer.

Simply serve the Kachkéis sauce as a delicious dip on the side.

40

PHOTOS

Enia Haeck

› › › › › › › ›

20 minutes

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

ON ION QUIC H E

WIT H WA LNUT K AC HK É IS Serves 4 › › › › ›

15 minutes

100 g EKABE Kachkéis with walnuts 4 onions 3 eggs 1 shortcrust pastry 200 ml milk

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter or line a

24-cm pie dish with baking paper and carefully spread out the shortcrust pastry. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork, then cover again with baking paper and line completely with baking balls or rice.

2 Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the baking paper and the balls or rice and set aside.

› › › ›

50 minutes 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp dried thyme 1 pinch of ground nutmeg Salt and pepper

3 Peel and chop the onions, fry them in

the oil in a non-stick pan for about 10 minutes or until they start to soften.

4 In a large bowl, mix eggs with milk, thyme, nutmeg. Stir in Ekabe Kachkéis with nuts, stir well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

5 Spread the onions on the pre-baked pastry and carefully pour the Kachkéis mixture on top. Bake for about 40 minutes and serve while still warm.

F E AT U R E

WINT E R BA R B E C UE G R I L L E D IC E C R E A M B OMB

Putting duck on the grill while covered in goosebumps themselves! Have you met the tough guy standing at the barbecue in the biting snow and frost?

The “winter griller” is a cool dude who uses wood chips from old whisky barrels for flavour, and also sips on a bottle of the same to keep warm. Afterall, they say that any alcohol you drink with food should also be used in its preparation. As the sleek machines owned by barbecue novices are worth the value of a small car, it makes sense to use them every day! Of course, there are still some old-school boys who actually stand out on the patio in front of an old-fashioned grill without a lid, often derided by the community of ball and lid barbecue owners as “flat grillers.” In winter, the classic rack and grate can actually be an advantage, as the old appliance not only spreads heat under its cover, but also wraps the griller in warmth.

Fire up the veg

Winter is the season for red-hot methods. The grate can be left off and vegetables like celery, cabbage and kohlrabi can be placed directly in the fire. Afterwards, the blackened skin can be peeled off to enjoy the smoky inside, just like in the best kitchens. Or how about a caveman steak, grilled directly on the coals, like our ancestors did?

While men see steaks as thick as a forearm as the ultimate challenge in freezing temperatures, women love an ice cream bomb. Ice cream is put on liqueur-saturated cake bases surrounded with beaten egg whites and then put under the barbecue hood for three minutes at 250°C.

Women love creative barbecuing

Barbecuing is by no means just a man’s world. Yulia Haybäck, who organises barbecue lessons in Austria, has noticed a competitiveness in couples. “Women want it to be more playful, light and refreshing, but they are more hardened,” she says. Most women would not even reach out for the tongs because “they are used to the heat of the kitchen.”

Here they like cooking winter vegetables like parsnips, Brussels sprouts or leeks over charcoal and gas fire, previously marinated with festive flavours like cinnamon, gingerbread spice and star anis for an extraordinary Advent Sunday.

The biggest disadvantage for the winter griller is that you can’t just quickly turn the sausages over and then return to the dining table, right next to the fireplace. A juicy pork shoulder or a crunchy beef brisket can take 14 hours.

In comparison, the Christmas goose is fast food. After just six hours the skin should be crispy and the breast and legs juicy. Pure enjoyment!

42

TEXT

Oliver Zelt

Everyone loves a barbecue in the warm summer sun.

But only true heroes show up when the weather gets cold.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

Enjoy happy and tasty holidays with our culinary magazine Gourmet...

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44

TEXT

Oliver Zelt

F E AT U R E

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

C HOCOL AT E SW E E T T E MP TAT ION

It took some time until cocoa beans were transformed into a bar of chocolate. The story of the lucky drink, breaking off a corner, and the bite into a hundred percent bar.

Back in the day, chocolate was a delicatessen drink. The hot mixture of cocoa and water was served to the upper classes in terribly expensive porcelain in the morning, at midday and evening. The liquid children’s favourite of today was – served without milk – the fashionable drink of the European nobility and a luxury product back in the 18th century.

The beans used for this prestigious drink were transported by sailing boat from Central America where it had been grown by farmers for over 1,000 years. There, the Spanish conquistador Cortés looted the beans among his many other conquests as well as the recipe for the traditional drink that the Maya had been drinking on special occasions. Made from ground cocoa, chilli, vanilla or pepper they mixed their “xocoatl;” translated it means “bitter water.”

Sweet hot chocolate for European palates

The chocolate industry and cocoa cultivation have since developed into a tremendous business, controlled by international cartels. These days, companies from Ghana and the Ivory Coast dominate the commodity market.

That’s where around 70 percent of the cocoa plantations in the world concentrate.

45

But the Spaniards were not convinced. The brew was much too bitter for them. Only after sweetening it with a lot of sugar or honey could they appreciate the drink.

And solid chocolate that one could properly bite into was only invented by 1847. In Bristol, the chocolatiers mixed the powder with cocoa butter rather than water. Luckily, less than twenty years earlier, the Dutchman Coenraad van Houten had managed to fragment the dried beans in such a way, using a hydraulic press, that the fatty butter could be more easily separated from the rest.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

Switzerland is world champion in eating chocolate with a statistical consumption of nearly 10 kilograms a year per person. In Luxembourg it’s 7.2 kilogram, placing fourth in Europe.

Demand for authentic chocolate

46

Among connoisseurs, the chocolate that gains the highest praise is not the milkiest and creamiest but the

one with as little milk as possible and no sugar at all.

Right at the top are the most authentic, homogenous chocolates.

Scouts of the firm “Original Beans” search the remotest corners of the earth for rare cocoa plants. In the cloud forests of a nature reserve in Ecuador they found the “Mono Bravo Arriba” beans that count among the most chocolaty varieties known. On account of their fatty content, they produce a silky, vegan bar. Not only a pleasure for consumers around the world but also for the native people growing the beans, all the while ensuring them a secure income. Nature, too, is enriched as a percentage of the chocolate producer’s proceeds is used to plant new trees in the rainforest.

The most challenging task is finding the beans for a hundred percent pure chocolate bar. Food hunters went on an expedition and climbed up to the Uramba valley in South Peru. There they found the Chuncho trees growing at a height of 2,000 metres, unusual for cocoa plants.

The husks are small, the beans tiny, some weigh less than one gram. They make up for that, however, with their extremely high fat content of 55 %. The Swiss chocolatiers of “Original Beans” can thus create a hundred percent chocolate bar by the name of “Cusco Chuncho”, produced exclusively from those beans. The bar is very dark, very smooth and has a fine bitterness.

In some growing areas the farmers started to question why they merely just delivered the chocolate beans rather than produce the finished product themselves. And so, the

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

HOW IS CHOCOL ATE MADE FROM COCOA?

cooperative “Kallari” in the Amazon of the “Rio Napo” in Ecuador now not only grows cocoa trees in mixed cultivation on a kind of orchard with vegetables, herbs, bananas and paprika like their ancestors, they also make their own organic chocolate straight from their harvest. Some bars are refined with chilli, coffee or dried pineapple.

The ripe cocoa fruits are halved and placed into boxes. The pulp starts to ferment, and the beans change from white to brown. This fermentation takes around ten days. Then the beans are dried under the tropical sun until they are only half their original size at the harvest. Once cleaned, they are roasted in massive kettles, the husks are removed, and the beans are ground in large mills.

A thick slurry is produced which, when pressed, separates into fatty cocoa butter and into a cake. The cake becomes cocoa powder.

To make chocolate, cocoa butter is added to the powder at around 80 degrees to bind everything, as well as milk powder and sugar.

The smooth mixture is milled several times, conched and is ready for the chocolate form.

Creations from Luxembourg

MILK AND VEGAN CHOCOL ATE

Who came up with that idea? The people from Dresden! In 1839 the company “Jordan & Timaeus” first produced a milk chocolate bar and advertised it as follows: “Chocolate made with donkey milk without herbs, to be eaten raw in 24 panels. However, the first bars were somewhat rough-textured and tough.

And who refined it? The Swiss, of course. In 1875 the chocolate maker Daniel Peter and the businessperson Henri Nestlé came up with the right recipe for a creamy mixture: they used condensed milk.

Vegan chocolate is currently in but it’s not actually new. Almost every dark chocolate is purely plant-based and only made from cocoa, fat, and sugar. Organic chocolate often adds a sweet hint through coconut sugar or dates.

47

In Luxembourg, too, one can find select treats from local producers. Chef Alexandra Kahn of the “Genaveh” in Steinfort remains very proud of the “chocolate fingers” from her establishment: long, round pralines with sesame, pistachio and a hint of salt. The spread “Noisettes à Tartiner” with coconut oil is also a delicacy.

The house of Oberweis in Luxembourg City attends with a worldwide novelty. The confectioners take the fruit juice of the cocoa that is extracted from the white pulp that surrounds the beans and is pressed by the Swiss-Ghanaian start-up “Koa.” Until recently, the pulp of the bean was largely unused. This process has to occur very fast as the pulp starts to ferment a few hours after the husk is opened.

The juice tastes a bit like litchi, a bit like lime and Jeff Oberweis calls it “the angel cut of the cocoa.” The Luxembourger takes the special ingredient and uses it to make truffles, cakes, sorbet, tartlets, and macarons. The baiser-based pastries, filled with a Koa-cream and caramel, is vegan – instead of egg white proteins made from chickpeas and potatoes are used.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

B E RT R A ND’S

C HOCOL AT E DE LIG H TS

FOR A LITTLE EXTRA FLAVOUR, ADD 1 SPOONFUL OF LIGHTLY CHOPPED MINT AND CHIVES (NOT CHOPPED).

F E AT U R E

As usual, Bertrand, from the Atelier de Cuisine Bertrand in Strassen, presents us with some simple and wonderful recipes on this issue’s big topic: chocolate.

All you have to do is cook and enjoy!

In collaboration with

atelier-de-cuisine.com

SOU T H -WE S T E R N DUC K S T E A K

W I T H DA R K C HOC OL AT E S AUC E , SY R A H A N D M A DE I R A Serves 1 30 minutes 10 minutes

› › › › ›

1/2 duck breast (fat side squared) 1 chopped shallot 50 ml of Syrah 50 ml Madeira wine 20 g of chocolate (90%)

1 Bake the duck breast on its fat for 15 minutes and keep

4 Serve the sauce in the bottom of the plate and

place the duck on top after having drained it on absorbent paper.

49

in the oven at 90°C for 15 minutes.

2 In a small saucepan reduce the shallot, Syrah, and Madeira by half with salt and pepper.

3 Add the chocolate in small pieces, whisk gently while adding the butter.

› 3 pinches of Bertrand salt › 1 tbsp salted butter › 2 turns of good smoked pepper

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

BOUNT Y

À L A BERTR AND W I T H 65% C HOC OL AT E Serves 4

› 100 g of 65% chocolate › 70 g organic grated coconut

15 minutes

› 30 g Raisins › 150 g condensed milk

› 1 tbsp dark rum

1 Mix coconut, raisins, condensed milk and rum well with a spatula. Put in the freezer for 1 night.

2 Melt the chocolate gently in a bain-marie and dip small dumplings of the coconut mixture into the chocolate.

FOR AN EXTRA TOUCH, SERVE WITH A SMALL GLASS OF RUM ON ICE WITH 1 ORANGE PEEL.

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RECIPES PHOTOS

Bertrand Duchamps Ramunas Astrauskas

Leave to cool on greaseproof paper in the fridge for 30 minutes. Serve cold and fresh.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

G R A NN Y ’S C HOCOL AT Y POTS W I T H 75% C HOC OL AT E Serves 4 15 minutes 5 – 7 minutes

› › › › › ›

125 g cream 20 g unrefined brown sugar 1 organic egg yolk 45 g chocolate (75% cocoa) 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 15 roasted Piedmont hazelnuts

1 Thoroughly whisk together yolk

and sugar

2 Bring the cream and vanilla to

the boil once before pouring over the yolk/sugar mixture and cook gently for 5 – 7 minutes.

3 Mix with the chocolate bit by bit off the heat. Transfer to glasses and leave to stand overnight in the fridge.

4 Serve with the crushed hazelnuts on top.

TIP

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For an extra touch, add 3 pinches of Bertrand salt to the cream.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

GLUTEN-FREE

LENTIL & BACON CASSEROLE WIT H SWE E T POTATO M AS H Serves 4 30 minutes 1 hour

For the sweet potato mash

› › › › › › ›

1 yellow onion 500 g sweet potatoes 400 g potatoes 2 tbsp olive oil 400 ml vegetable stock 1 tsp allspice Salt and pepper

For the lentil filling

› › › › › ›

300 g brown lentils 1 shallot 1 onion 1 apple 400 g bacon 50 g raisins

For the crunchy almond topping

› › › ›

50 g almonds 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 pinch of salt

translucent. Add the potatoes and sauté them for 5 minutes.

3 Cover with vegetable stock. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes until tender and the stock has almost evaporated.

4 Blend until smooth and season with allspice, salt and pepper.

The lentil filling 1 Cook the lentils in twice the amount of water

(or as indicated on the package).

2 Mince the onion and the shallot. Peel, then finely dice the apple.

3 Heat a pan without oil. Sauté the bacon. Add the onion and shallot and sauté over medium-high heat until translucent.

4 Add the apple and the raisins and cook over medium

heat for 5 – 10 minutes, stirring regularly, then add in the drained lentils.

The almond topping 1 Roughly chop the almonds and mix with the maple

syrup.

2 Heat a pan with olive oil. When hot, spread out the

almonds in a single layer. Cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Then, stir until golden.

The assembly 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Press the lentil filling into a

baking dish.

2 Cover with potato mash and bake for 30 minutes.

3 Top with crunchy almonds.

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RECIPE & PHOTO

Eloïse Jennes

The sweet potato mash 1 Mince the onion. Peel both types of potatoes.

2 Heat a large pot with olive oil. Sauté the onion until

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

cookingwithelo.com

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RECIPE

PUMPK IN WAF F LE WITH POAC HE D EGG

Serves 1 30 minutes 15 minutes

› › › › › › › › › › ›

250 g flour 100 g pumpkin purée 125 g melted butter 60 ml milk 1 egg 1 packet of dry baker’s yeast 1 tsp quatre épices (spiceblend) Fresh parsley Some salad leaves Grilled pumpkin seeds Salt

For the filling

The waffles 1 Mix 150 g flour with the spice blend and yeast.

Pour in the milk and 60 ml of warm water and mix to a creamy, smooth batter.

2 Cover with a cloth. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Add the remaining flour and butter, the pumpkin purée and the beaten egg.

3 Add salt and form a ball. Leave to rest for 15 minutes and then form into 100-g dough pieces.

4 Place one dough piece into the centre of each cell of a hot waffle iron. Cook until the waffles are golden brown.

6 eggs, extra fresh 6 thin slices of bacon 2 tbsp white vinegar Salt and freshly ground pepper

The filling 1 Dry roast the bacon in a pan.

2 Break the eggs gently into an individual ramekin

with a little vinegar. Leave to marinate for 3 minutes so that the eggs can cook in the boiling water without scattering.

3 Bring a pan of water almost to the boil, it should be simmering but not boiling hot. Whisk the water to create a whirlpool and then carefully dip the egg into the whirlpool.

4 Cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Remove the eggs with a skimmer and drain.

5 Serve the hot waffles with bacon and a poached egg.

Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

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RECIPE PHOTO

Sandrine Pingeon Enia Haeck

› › › ›

lespaniersdesandrine.lu

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

PA RTNE R R ECI PE

SW E E T SOR R E N TO

E V E RYONE LOV E S T IR A MISU! This dessert is a delicious, lemony twist of one of Italy’s most iconic desserts: tiramisu. Both light and tasty, this recipe is a great finishing touch to any holiday meal.

Serves 8

1 Prepare a cream with 4 egg yolks, sugar, mascarpone

20 minutes

2 Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them gently into

and lemon curd. the batter.

3 Cut the cake into slices and dip briefly into a bowl filled with

500 g Galbani mascarpone 120 g granulated sugar 4 eggs 4 tbsp limoncello Soft cake 8 tbsp lemon curd 1 lime

limoncello.

4 Place a slice of cake in the bottom of 8 glasses. Use a piping bag

to pipe the cream on top.

5 Just before serving, whisk the whites of 2 eggs with granulated

sugar until stiff. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag and pipe a small rosette on top of each glass. Brown with a blowtorch.

6 Decorate with a little lime peel. A delight for both eyes and taste buds.

For more Galbani recipes, visit galbani.lu

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› › › › › › ›

V EGE TA R I A N R ECI PE

ORG A NIC K ING’S C A K E

BY BA K H AUS Serves 6 40 minutes 40 minutes

For the organic puff pastry

› See kachen.lu › Otherwise, 2 rolls of puff pastry in the shape of a disc

For the organic pastry cream

› › › ›

200 ml milk 40 g sugar 1 egg yolk 2 g cornflour

For the organic frangipane

› › › ›

80 g butter 80 g sugar 1 large egg 80 g whole almonds, finely ground › 25 g flour (type 550) › 1 bean (as hidden prize) For the organic syrup

› 50 g sugar › 50 ml water The puff pastry 1 Organic puff pastry is available in specialised shops

or you can make it yourself. Make a larger quantity of dough and freeze it for future use.

2 Homemade dough preparation is available at

RECIPE PHOTO

Julie Jager Enia Haeck

kachen.lu

The pastry cream 1 Mix half the sugar, the egg yolk and the cornflour.

Heat the milk and the other half of the sugar.

2 Pour the boiling milk over the first mixture and whisk to combine. Return to the pan and bring to the boil while continuing to stir. Strain and set aside in a cool place.

The frangipane 1 Mix the softened butter and sugar, then add the egg

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and dry ingredients (sifted flour and almonds).

2 Add 25 g of the pastry cream.

The syrup 1 Mix the sugar and water in a pan and boil to obtain

a syrup.

Assembly 1 Place the first circle on a baking tray covered with

baking paper.

2 Poach the frangipane in a spiral, leaving 1 cm of edge

3 4 5 6

free, and place the bean. Wet the edge of the pastry disc with a brush and place the second disc on top.

Weld by pressing with your thumb on the edge of the cake. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Brown with egg and decorate with the tip of a knife as desired.

Bake for 10 minutes then lower the temperature to 170°C for 30 minutes.

Strain the syrup when removed from the oven.

All ingredients are 100% certified organic. bakhaus.lu

STEP BY STEP

C INN A MON ROLL S

F LUF F Y C I N N A MON B UN S Next to no one can resist fluffy, soft American cinnamon rolls. The precursors of the ubiquitous cinnamon rolls in the USA may be found in Great Britain, Sweden, and Germany. In US bakeries, the puffy, large and very airy cinnamon rolls are often generously spread with cream cheese frosting or topped with sugar icing. In this recipe, they are sprinkled with icing sugar – for a subtle sweetness and an uncomplicated baking experience. For those who like freshly baked, warm cinnamon buns for breakfast, check out the tip.

Makes 15 ‒ 16 1 hour + resting time 15 ‒ 20 minutes

Dough

› 300 ml warm milk › 65 g sugar › 7 g dry yeast or ½ cube (21 g) › › › ›

fresh yeast 75 g melted butter, cooled down 1 egg (M), whisked 2 tsp salt (8 g) 530 g flour (type 550)

Filling

› 65 g very soft butter at room temperature

› 40 g sugar › 2 lightly heaped tsp cinnamon

(for a subtle cinnamon flavour, more if you like)

Also

brushing (optional, see point 6).

› Powdered sugar for dusting

TIP

These Cinnamon Rolls can be prepared in one day, as indicated in the recipe. However, you can also split the work over two days and leave the second proofing overnight: To do this, cover the shaped cinnamon rolls well in the tin (e.g. wrap the entire tin in cling film, not touching the dough) and let them rise for 20 minutes at room temperature first (they should only rise slightly), then put them in the fridge overnight. Bake the next day.

58

RECIPE & PHOTOS

Ursula Schersch

› 1 egg yolk + 2 tsp milk for

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

STEP BY STEP

1

Combine the milk, sugar and yeast in a large mixing bowl.

Stir in the butter, egg, salt and half of the flour, either with a wooden spoon or in a food processor. Once thoroughly mixed, stir in the rest of the flour and knead until smooth, around 5 – 7 minutes.

Note: The dough can be kneaded by hand or prepared in a food processor with a dough hook. The latter is recommended as the dough is very soft.

3

Roll out the dough on a wellfloured work surface to 60 x 45 cm. If you prefer a few thicker, fluffier spirals instead of lots of fine spirals, roll out the dough smaller, to about 35 x 45 cm. Keep flouring the work surface and dough while rolling it out.

2

Put the dough into a clean, oiled bowl and let it rise, covered, at room temperature until doubled in volume for about 1 hour, depending on the room temperature. Meanwhile, soften the butter for the filling, preferably sliced, at room temperature.

4

Brush the rolled-out dough with the soft butter. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the dough. Roll the dough into a 45-cm long roll and cut it into pieces about 3 cm wide.

6

7

Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C until golden brown, approx. 15 – 20 minutes.

Let cool slightly and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

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Cover and let the cinnamon buns rise again at room temperature until they have risen considerably, about ½ to 1 hour (for cold proofing overnight, see tip). For a little shine, you can brush the cinnamon rolls with 1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tsp milk before baking – but if you sprinkle them with icing sugar later anyway, you can omit this step.

5

Place the cinnamon rolls a little apart from each other in a tin lined with baking paper or oiled (approx. 23 x 33 cm). Tip: You can also use a large springform pan and if there is not enough room for all the cinnamon rolls, bake the rest in a loaf tin.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

SWE E T

CHR IS TMAS

COVER STORY

Don’t they just look gorgeous, our cover cakes? Yves Jehanne, master pastry chef at Steffen and founder of “Sucrés du Lux”, took it upon himself to get involved and create these wonderful sweet treats for our winter covers.

The cakes are not only lovely to look at and quite delectable, they are also quite easy to replicate. Good luck and happy holidays!

PAV LOVA

INS PIR E D BY DONN A H AY Serves 6 20 minutes

100 g egg whites 100 g sugar 100 g icing sugar 50 g raspberry coulis Pistachio powder

1 Whip the egg whites, fold in the sugar and then slowly add the icing sugar

61

at the end of the process. Place large spoonfuls of meringue in the shape of a crown on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

2 Place a few small dots of raspberry coulis on the meringue and, with a wooden stick, make waves for the decoration.

3 Dry at 80°C for about 2 hours. Arrange pistachio powder around the meringue and serve with fruit and whipped cream to taste.

RECIPES PHOTOS

› › › › ›

Yves Jeh a n ne Ramunas Astrauskas

20 minutes

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

COVER STORY

T R A DI T ION A L MOC H A Serves 6 For the sponge cake

› › › ›

180 g egg whites 150 g sugar 120 g egg yolks 150 g flour

For the mocha buttercream

› › › › ›

250 g sugar 70 g water 2 large eggs 300 g butter Coffee extract or a double ristretto

20 minutes

20 minutes

The sponge cake 1 Whip the egg whites and fold in the sugar. Fold in the yolks with a spatula

and then the flour.

2 Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with icing sugar, bake at 170 °C

for about 10 minutes. Alternatively (for the round shape), bake the sponge in a savarin dish in the same way.

The mocha buttercream 1 Beat the eggs in a mixer. Cook the sugar and water to 118°C and pour

over the eggs. Beat until completely cooled, then add the butter and coffee.

2 Assemble the cake in successive layers of biscuits and buttercream, lightly soak the biscuit with coffee. Spread buttercream all around and decorate with a beautiful wave of vanilla whipped cream.

M AC A ROON S

WIT H VA NILL A , PEC A N & F LE UR DE S E L Serves 6 For the macaroons

› › › › › ›

90 g egg whites 250 g sugar 70 g water 90 g egg whites 250 g almond powder 250 g icing sugar

1 hour

20 minutes

For the vanilla mousseline

› › › › › ›

250 ml milk 2 egg yolks 50 g sugar 18 g cornflour 100 g butter 1 vanilla pod

The macaroons 1 Mix the first batch of egg whites with the almond

powder and icing sugar.

2 Beat the second batch of egg whites gently in a mixer.

Cook the sugar and water to 118 degrees and pour over the whites. Beat until completely cool and then fold into the first mixture in two stages.

3 Dress the macaroon and arrange macaroons of different sizes on baking sheets. Leave to crust for 30 minutes in the air, then bake in the oven at 135°C for 18 minutes.

The vanilla mousseline 1 Boil milk with the scraped vanilla, whiten the yolks

› 150 g pecans › 150 g sugar › 15 g grape seed or sunflower oil

milk over this mixture and tip the mixture into the pan.

Cook until it boils.

2 Cool in the fridge then whisk in the butter. Garnish the macaroons The pecan praline 1 Roast the pecans in the oven at 180°C, during this

time cook the sugar into a caramel, once 170°C is reached (or a nice caramel colour) pour onto a silicone cloth and leave to cool.

2 Mix the cold caramel chips and the cooled pecans in a blender until you have a smooth praline.

3 Garnish the macaroons with the vanilla mousseline, a heart of praline and fleur de sel as desired. Arrange in the shape of a crown and serve.

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with the sugar and add the cornflour. Pour the hot

For the pecan praline

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

SEASONAL FRUIT

5 FAC TS A BOUT

C HE S T NU TS WHICH ONES TO E AT ?

There are different varieties of edible chestnuts, all delicious and recognisable by their heart shape and reddish-brown skin with dark stripes. They are quite flat and have a point at the top. However, the spherical horse chestnuts – or conkers – are poisonous for humans.

H E A LT H Y C H R I S TM A S T R E AT S An initiative of the Luxembourgish Government in the framework of the plan „Gesond iessen, Méi beweegen“.

More infos: gimb.lu

For a long time, chestnuts were “poor man’s bread,” an alternative in case of crop failure and a food of the people in the 17th century.

One tree per capita would yield between 100 and 200 kg of chestnuts. And in Switzerland, if you cut down a chestnut tree, you would get a hefty fine.

S TO R AG E & “ F LOAT T E S T ”

B E E R G A R DE N S & CHESTNUTS There is a 200-year old reason for beer gardens often being sheltered by solid chestnut trees: in the past, beer was only brewed in the cooler months, with hot summer temperatures making brewing impossible. Chestnut trees were planted especially to protect the underground cold storage where the beer was kept from the summer heat.

64

TEXT

Martina Schmitt-Jamek

A TREE PE R C A PI TA

Sweet chestnuts contain less fat than other nuts, they are rich in carbohydrates and dietary fibre and cause the blood sugar level to rise only slowly. Potassium and vitamin B help the skin and brain, manganese binds free radicals and copper strengthens bones and nerves. All good reasons to enjoy sweet chestnuts in every variation.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

The nuts spoil quickly at room temperature but are good for freezing (cut, blanch and peel beforehand) or can be stored in a bucket with dry sand for several months.

Worms love chestnuts, but you can carry out a water test to see if the nuts are infested: put the nuts in lukewarm water. Any that float are “inhabited.”

SEASONAL FRUIT

POLE NTA WA F E R S

WIT H C HE S T NUTS , GORGONZOL A & HONE Y Serves 4

› › › › › › › ›

15 minutes

1 garlic clove 1 sprig thyme 500 ml milk 500 ml vegetable stock 200 g polenta, instant 2 tbsp parmesan, grated 2 tbsp butter 1 egg yolk

25 minutes

› › › ›

Salt Pepper, from the mill 1 tbsp olive oil 150 g chestnuts, cooked and vacuum packed › 120 g gorgonzola › 4 tbsp honey

1 Crush the garlic with the palm of your hand,

wash the thyme and put both in a pot with the milk and stock. Bring to the boil, sprinkle in the polenta and simmer for 2 – 3 minutes while stirring. Turn off the heat, remove the garlic and thyme, add the parmesan, butter and egg yolk and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

2 Spread the mixture on a baking tray covered with baking paper (approx. 20 x 30 cm) and leave to cool.

3 Preheat the oven to 200°C top

and bottom heat. Grease a baking tray with the olive oil, cut the polenta mixture into 12 slices and place on the tray. Roughly chop the chestnuts and spread on top. Chop the gorgonzola into pieces, sprinkle over the top and drizzle with the honey. Bake in the oven for approx. 15 minutes.

ME AT BA LL S

WIT H MORTA DE LL A & PINE NUTS Serves 6 – 8 › › › › ›

25 minutes

150 g chestnut purée 200 g veal mince 150 g salsiccia 100 g mortadella 60 g chestnuts, cooked and vacuum packed › 1 stalk parsley › ¼ stick leek › 1 tbsp butter 1 Put the chestnut purée and the veal

› 1 potato, floury, › › › › › › ›

cooked the day before 4 tbsp parmesan, grated 2 tbsp pine nuts, roasted 1 egg 120 g breadcrumbs Salt Pepper, from the mill Vegetable oil, for frying

pine nuts, egg and 20 g breadcrumbs and mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Take portions of the mixture by the tablespoon and form into balls. Dredge in the breadcrumbs.

3 Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a pan to approx. 170°C and fry the balls in it for 4 – 5 minutes until golden brown. Dab on kitchen paper and serve.

65

mince in a bowl. Add the sausage meat.

Finely dice the mortadella and chestnuts, finely chop the parsley and mix everything together.

2 Cut the leeks in half, wash, chop and sauté in a pan in the butter for 2 – 3 minutes.

Leave to cool. Finely grate the potato, add to the minced meat with the parmesan,

10 minutes

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

SPAGHE T TI WITH C HE S TNUTS , BACON A ND PECOR INO C HE E S E Serves 4 › › › › ›

15 minutes

10 minutes

› › › › › ›

150 g bacon 1 tbsp olive oil 120 ml white wine 75 ml cream 60 g pecorino, grated Pepper, from the mill

400 g spaghetti Salt 1 shallot 2 garlic cloves 250 g chestnuts, cooked and vacuum packed

1 Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water for 10 – 12

fry. Deglaze with the wine, let it boil away a little, add 3 – 4 tablespoons of the pasta water and pour in the cream.

3 Drain the pasta and add to the sauce with the cheese.

Season with salt and pepper and toss well.

Arrange on plates and serve.

66

minutes until just tender.

2 Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the shallot and garlic.

Coarsely chop the chestnuts. Cut the bacon into strips and fry in a pan in the olive oil for 5 – 6 minutes until crispy. Add the shallot, garlic and chestnuts and

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

SEASONAL FRUIT

C HE S TNUT GNOCC HI

WIT H PA R ME SA N SAUC E & POMEG R A N AT E S E E DS Serves 4 – 6 › › › › › ›

50 minutes

800 g chestnuts 500 g potatoes, floury cooking Salt 1 egg 150 g flour, and to work 50 g semolina

1 Cut the chestnuts crosswise and boil them in water

for about 40 minutes. Wash the potatoes and cook in salted water for about 30 minutes.

2 Rinse the chestnuts briefly, peel them and remove the brown skin. Peel the potatoes and press them with the chestnuts through a potato ricer. Allow to steam well.

Quickly knead into a smooth dough with the egg, flour (except for 1 tablespoon), semolina, salt and nutmeg.

Form finger–thick rolls on a floured work surface and cut off approx. 1.5 cm wide pieces. Roll over the back of a fork. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rest for about 15 minutes.

60 minutes › › › › › ›

Nutmeg 300 ml milk 80 g parmesan, grated 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds 1 tbsp olive oil 1 stalk thyme, leaves plucked off

3 Meanwhile, for the sauce, bring the milk to the boil

with the remaining flour and the parmesan cheese, stirring. Allow to thicken to a creamy consistency, season with salt and nutmeg.

4 Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water for 4 – 5 minutes. Rinse briefly and drain well. Toss into the sauce and arrange on a platter or plates. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds, drizzle with the oil and serve garnished with the thyme.

SEASONAL FRUIT

C HOCOL ATE TART

WIT H C HE S T NUT C R E A M & ME R INGUE TOPPING Serves 8

45 minutes

For the dough

› › › ›

150 g flour 2 tbsp cocoa powder 1 egg 80 g butter, in pieces; a little for the mould › 50 g sugar

20 minutes

For the topping

› › › › › ›

100 g dark chocolate 2 eggs 200 g chestnut purée 400 ml milk 60 g sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract

1 For the dough, knead all the ingredients until smooth.

Add a little water if necessary. Shape into a ball and chill for approx. 30 minutes wrapped in cling film.

2 Preheat the oven to 180°C top and bottom heat.

Grease the tart tin (approx. 20 cm Ø).

3 Roll out the pastry and place in the tin. Press down on the base and edges and cut off any overhanging edges if necessary. Cover with baking paper and baking beans and blind bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes.

Remove the beans and paper and leave to cool.

4 Chop the chocolate into small pieces and remove 1 – 2 tablespoons for garnishing. Melt the rest and brush the tart base with it. Leave to dry.

› 200 g cream cheese › 80 g icing sugar

5 Separate the eggs, bring the egg yolks with the

chestnut purée, milk, sugar and vanilla to the boil in a pan, stirring briefly, and allow to thicken until creamy.

Stir the cream until cold and mix in the cream cheese.

Pour onto the base and spread evenly. Chill for at least 2 hours.

6 Before serving, whip the egg whites with the icing sugar until stiff and spread over the cream in a cloudy layer. Flame with a flambé burner and sprinkle with the remaining chocolate.

C HE S T NUT C R E A M

WIT H VA NILL A FOR C ROIS SA NT Serves 4 – 6 › › › › ›

800 g chestnuts 1 vanilla pod 150 g sugar 75 g brown sugar 2 tbsp rum

50 minutes

60 minutes

1 Cut the peel of the chestnuts crosswise and boil

them covered with water for about 40 minutes until soft. Then drain, briefly rinse, peel and skin. Press them through a potato ricer while still warm.

2 Slit the vanilla pod open lengthwise and bring to the boil in a pan with 400 ml water and the sugar.

Boil for 2 – 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the chestnut purée, stir until smooth and cook until the desired consistency is reached (blend briefly with a hand blender if necessary).

3 Remove the vanilla pod, mix in the rum and pour the cream into the prepared glasses (approx. 400 ml each). Leave to cool, tightly closed.

G ING E R B R E A D MOUS S E WIT H MULLE D WINE C HE R R IE S Serves 4 › › › › ›

20 minutes

250 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped 250 ml fresh Luxlait cream 1 tsp speculoos spice 2 tbsp sugar 2 pieces of gingerbread

1 Melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons cream

in a bowl (aluminium or glass) over a bainmarie and stir until creamy. Set aside.

2 Whip the remaining cream with a whisk until stiff. Carefully stir in the sugar and the speculoos spice. When the chocolate has cooled slightly, gradually add them to the cream and mix until creamy.

3 Dice the gingerbread into small cubes and fold in. Divide the mousse into 4 small glasses and place them in the fridge.

4 Drain the cherries and collect the juice in a saucepan. Bring to the boil with the mulled

› › › › ›

40 minutes 300 g preserved sour cherries 1 orange, zeste and juice 100 ml mulled wine 2 tbsp starch 2 tbsp water

wine, orange zest and orange juice and simmer for a few minutes.

Dissolve the starch in 2 tablespoons water, immediately add to the saucepan and stir carefully with a whisk until the liquid thickens. Stir in the cherries, remove from the heat and leave to cool for around 40 minutes.

5 Spread the cooled mulled wine cherries over the gingerbread mousse.

Decorate with some speculoos spice and gingerbread pieces.

For more Luxlait recipes, visit luxlait.lu

SE A SONA L V EGE TA B L E

5 FAC TS A BOUT

TOPINAMBOUR A V E R S AT I L E R OO T V E G E TA B L E It can be fried, made into purée, served as a gratin or simply boiled. Its slightly sweet and nutty taste peps up any menu. Eaten raw, the tuber tastes slightly earthy and goes well, for example, with carrots or apples in a salad. However, it loses its colour quickly, so drizzle it with lemon juice or vinegar.

An initiative of the Luxembourgish Government in the framework of the plan “Gesond iessen, Méi beweegen”.

More infos: gimb.lu

The Jerusalem artichoke likes to run wild, stretches its roots underground in every direction and crowds out other plants in the spring with its rapid and tall growth (up to 3 m) and heavy shading. Root barriers (rhizome barriers) help to keep the plants in check.

Jerusalem artichokes do not contain any starch, but they comprise 16% inulin fibre which does not affect blood glucose levels and is therefore suitable for diabetics. It lowers cholesterol, increases intestinal flora, has a preventive effect against cancer, is anti-inflammatory and provides a pleasant feeling of fullness.

S TO R AG E & SHELF LIFE

A S AV I OU R In 1612, the Jerusalem artichoke saved many French emigrants in Canada and North America from starvation. They sent some of the tubers to Paris, where they were named after the indigenous people “Tupinambá,” and to the Vatican City, where they were called “girasole articiocco” (sunflower artichokes), which became Jerusalem artichoke in English.

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TEXT

Martina Schmitt-Jamek

K E E P I T U N DE R CONTROL!

A H E A LT H Y S L IMMI NG F OO D

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

Because they have a thin skin, the tubers dry out quickly and are best kept for just a few weeks in a cloth in the refrigerator at 1 – 2°C. If you can store them in soil, they will keep for up to six months.

SE A SONA L V EGE TA B L E

JE RUSALE M ARTIC HOK E SOUP WIT H PE S TO › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › ›

Serves 4

20 minutes

25 minutes

400 g Jerusalem artichoke 200 g celeriac 200 g potatoes, floury cooking 1 leek, white and light green only 2 tbsp butter 800 ml vegetable stock 100 g cream 1 handful of herbs (parsley, basil, rocket) 4 tbsp olive oil 20 g hazelnuts Salt Piment d’Espelette Vegetable oil, for frying 100 g cream cheese 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp black cumin

1 Wash and clean the Jerusalem artichokes

3

4

5

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2

thoroughly. Finely slice about 60 g and chop the rest. Peel and chop the celery and potatoes. Rinse, clean and slice the leek.

Sauté the sliced vegetables with the leek in hot butter in a saucepan. Pour in the stock with the cream and let the soup simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if necessary.

Meanwhile, for the pesto, rinse the herbs, shake dry and pluck the leaves. Purée with the oil and hazelnuts and season with salt and allspice.

Fry the Jerusalem artichoke slices in hot oil (approx. 170°C) until crispy and drain on kitchen paper.

Purée the soup with the cream cheese until creamy and season with lemon juice and salt. Divide among soup plates and drizzle with the pesto. Garnish with fried Jerusalem artichokes and serve sprinkled with black cumin.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

JE RUSA LE M A RT IC HOK E R ISOT TO WIT H SAG E Serves 4 40 minutes 25 minutes

› 200 g Jerusalem › › › › › ›

artichoke 1 onion 2 garlic cloves 4 tbsp olive oil 250 g risotto rice 100 ml white wine 1 l vegetable stock

› 2 stalks sage › 30 g butter › 5 tbsp parmesan,

grated › 1 tbsp lemon juice › Salt › Black pepper, from the mill

1 Wash and clean the Jerusalem artichokes. Slice about

Serves 4 20 minutes

› 3 mandarins › 200 g Jerusalem

› Salt › Black pepper, from the

› 200 g oak leaf lettuce › 2 handfuls baby spinach › 4 tbsp white balsamic

› › › › › ›

artichoke

vinegar

› 3 tbsp grape seed oil › 1 tsp honey

mill 40 g parmesan 40 g hazelnuts 1 tbsp sunflower seeds 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds 1 tbsp poppy seeds 1 tbsp linseed

1 Peel and slice the mandarins. Wash and clean the

Jerusalem artichokes thoroughly and slice finely.

Rinse the lettuce and spinach, clean and shake dry.

Cut the lettuce into small pieces and arrange on plates with the mandarins and Jerusalem artichokes.

2 For the dressing, mix the vinegar, oil and honey, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the dressing. Grate the parmesan over the top.

Coarsely chop the hazelnuts and sprinkle the seeds over the top.

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60 g finely. Cut the rest into small cubes. Peel the onion and garlic and chop both finely. Fry the diced Jerusalem artichokes in 2 tablespoons oil in a pan until golden brown.

2 Briefly add the rice and deglaze with the wine. Pour in a little stock and let the rice absorb it. Gradually pour in the rest of the stock, stirring regularly, until the risotto is cooked with a slight bite and creamy in about 15 minutes.

3 Fry the Jerusalem artichoke slices with the plucked sage leaves in a pan in the remaining hot oil until lightly golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

4 Mix the butter with 4 tablespoons parmesan into the risotto and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Serve garnished with the remaining parmesan, Jerusalem artichoke and sage.

JE RUSA LE M A RT IC HOK E SA L A D WIT H M A NDA R INS & H A ZE LNUTS

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

PIZZ A B I ANC A

SE A SONA L V EGE TA B L E

WIT H JE RUSA LE M A RT IC HOK E S , BACON &ONIONS 95 minutes

For the dough

For the topping

some for the work surface › Salt › 1 pinch of sugar › 2 tbsp olive oil

› › › ›

› 15 g fresh yeast › 400 g pizza flour, plus

15 minutes

› 200 g Jerusalem

artichoke 2 red onions 250 g ricotta 2 tbsp cream 80 g parmesan, grated

› 150 g bacon, thinly sliced › 2 tsp Italian herbs, dried › Black pepper, from the mill

› 1 stalk basil, leaves plucked off

1 Stir the yeast in approx. 250 ml

lukewarm water. Mix the flour in a bowl with 1 teaspoon salt and the sugar, make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast water with the oil. Work into a smooth dough with your hands or a dough hook. Then knead thoroughly on a floured work surface, return to the bowl and leave to rise, covered, in a warm place for approx. 1 hour.

2 Preheat the oven with two baking trays to 240°C convection heat.

3 For the topping, wash and clean the Jerusalem artichokes and cut or slice into thin slices. Peel the onions and cut into thin slices. Mix the ricotta with the cream and 2 tablespoons parmesan.

4 Cut the dough into quarters and roll out each one into a round pizza. Place 2 pizzas on a sheet of baking paper and spread with the cream. Leave a narrow border all around. Top with the bacon, Jerusalem artichokes and onions.

Season with the herbs and grind pepper over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Carefully place the pizzas with the paper on the hot trays and bake for about 15 minutes until brown. Serve garnished with basil.

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8 pieces

POR K C HOPS

WIT H JE RUSA LE M A RT IC HOK E S , A PPLE S & SAG E Serves 4

15 minutes 30 minutes

› › › › › › › › › › › › › ›

2 apples 400 g Jerusalem artichoke 4 garlic cloves 40 g butter Salt Black pepper, from the mill 1 kg pork chops, 4 pieces 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp orange jelly 1 tbsp honey 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp mustard 1 pinch paprika powder 3 stalks sage

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C top /

bottom heat. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2 Wash and clean the apples and Jerusalem artichokes. Cut the Jerusalem artichokes into pieces and the apples into wedges. Peel the garlic. Spread everything on the tray and cover with 20 g butter flakes.

Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.

3 Rinse the chops and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper and fry in a pan in hot oil until golden brown on both sides.

4 Heat the orange jelly with the remaining butter, honey, lemon juice and mustard in a small saucepan, stirring. Season with paprika, salt and pepper. Place the chops on the baking tray and brush both sides with the glaze. Spread the rest over the Jerusalem artichokes and apples. Roughly chop the sage and place it in between. Bake for another 15 minutes approx.

F E AT U R E

A F ILLING FOR A FA NTAS T IC F E AS T Turkey, fondue or black pudding with potato purée for Christmas. Festive, but how about a pasty or terrine?

Luxembourgers appreciate a delicate bite, a good “Maufel” as one says, which quite literally means “a mouth full.” One of the favourites is the Rieslingpastete, a pastry roll filled with marinated veal and pork, crowned with a clear wine jelly.

The confectioner Pierre Kaempff, whose grandson continues the family tradition with his delicatessen in Luxembourg City, is said to have invented the delicacy.

At the end of the 1920s, Pierre Kaempff regularly met with good friends for a glass of wine, however, they were missing a small snack to accompany the drink. Without further ado, in search for a hearty dish, he seasoned veal and pork meat, marinated these for two days in Riesling and filled the steeped mixture into a dough, which he closed at the top leaving one to three holes, and shoved into the oven. A dish as perfect back then as it is today.

THE RENAISSANCE OF THE PASTIES

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Pasties and terrine have long been seen as old fashioned, not refined enough for a delicate palate. But the hodgepodge rolled in dough or bacon are now experiencing a lively revival on the kitchen scene. Cooks learn once more what they used to be taught as apprentices. To make pasties with small blowholes so that the steam can escape, or terrines with exquisite fillings. Already about 800 years ago, farmers preserved meat in earthenware and sealed them with a thick layer of lard. Today, thin bacon strips create a juicy skin in the terrine forms after the warm water bath.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

Historians discovered recipes for poultry pasties written on cuneiform clay tablets dating back as far as 1700 BCE in the Middle East. At the time of the European Renaissance, the cooks started to create real masterpieces at the courts of the nobility. Dough creations several stories high, filled with snipe, duck or eel and refined with spices of the Orient decorated the lush banquets.

The filled pasties of today fit perfectly into the sustainable nose-to-tail cooking, for meat and fish beyond filets are much more valuable for a balanced taste and airiness.

WINTERY SPICES FOR THE FEAST

Throughout Advent, spices give bakeries a Christmassy scent. Gingerbread spice gives a hint of festive finesse as well as the “Quatre-épices”, a traditional, beloved French mixture of white pepper, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

In restaurants or indeed at family feasts, you can once more find the “Bouchée à la reine” on the menu. A pasty filled with ragout fin made from chicken and veal and whose elaborate creation warrants its German name: “Königin-Pastete” (The Queen’s Pastry). To make it you need several rounds of puff pastry sheets that are cut and stacked on top of each other, leaving a small rim, stuck together with egg white and then baked in the oven. This cylinder is filled with a delicate filling and closed with a lid of pastry. For a luxury version, winter truffles are added on top.

INSTAGR AMABLE CREATIONS

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TEXT

Oliver Zelt

A slice of delicate terrine is not only an enticing dish but also works wonders as a motif for pictures. Pasties, too, cut a good figure on social networks and are popular culinary Instagram influencers. They are wonderful still lives made of meat, fish, vegetables and aspic.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

CRISPY, SAVOURY MINCE PIE Serves 5 › › › › › ›

4 tbsp olive oil 250 g filo pastry 2 red peppers 1 chilli pepper 3 eggs 100 g cream

› › › › › ›

25 minutes

100 g Emmental cheese, grated 800 g minced meat 30 g breadcrumbs 150 g peas 2 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped 1 tsp paprika powder

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C convection heat. Brush the

springform pan with oil. Lay the filo pastry in several layers, slightly staggered. Brush each layer with oil and leave the edges slightly overhanging.

2 Rinse and clean the peppers and chilli. Cut the chilli into fine rings and the pepper into small pieces. Whisk the eggs with the cream and cheese. Mix the minced meat

60 minutes › › › ›

1 spring onion, in rings Black pepper, from the mill Salt Springform pan, approx. 24 cm

with the breadcrumbs, peas, parsley, pepper and chilli and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Pour into the dish and spread evenly.

3 Fold in the edge of the pastry slightly and fold over.

Bake the mince pie in the oven for about 1 hour until golden brown. Serve with spring onion rings.

F E AT U R E

B A K E D S TA R WIT H LE E K & BACON Serves 8

› › › › › › › › › ›

30 minutes

25 minutes

2 leeks 150 g smoked bacon 20 g butter 1 tsp dried Italian herbs 2 rolls of puff pastry, approx.

24 x 40 cm each 100 g mozzarella, grated 1 egg yolk 2 tbsp cream Black pepper, from the mill Salt

1 Wash and clean the leek and cut into

3

4

5

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2

rings. Cut the bacon into small cubes.

Sauté together in a pan in hot butter for 4 – 5 minutes. Leave to cool, mix in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 200°C top and bottom heat. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Cut out 2 circles (approx. 24 cm each) from the puff pastry. The leftover pastry can be used elsewhere. Place one of the circles on the baking tray and cover with the leek and bacon mixture. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and place the second circle of dough on top. Smooth out.

Cut the dough 16 times in rays from the outside to about halfway through (placing a glass in the middle might help).

Take 2 adjacent dough strands at the end and twist them around against each other about 2 times. Press the ends together.

This will make a total of eight star tips.

Score patterns in the centre with the tip of a knife as desired.

Mix the egg yolk with the cream and brush the pastry with it. Bake the pastry star in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

DUC K L I V E R PÂT É WIT H MOR E L S

Serves 5 40 minutes 40 minutes

› › › › › › › › › › › ›

100 g veal tongue, cured 200 g duck liver 100 g cooked ham 60 g morels 1 tbsp butter 40 ml Madeira liqueur wine 500 g sausage meat 1 handful spinach 2 stalks sage 1 roll of puff pastry 1 egg yolk Salt

1 Cut the tongue, liver and ham into strips.

2

3 4

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5

Rinse, clean and chop the morels. Sauté briefly in hot butter. Deglaze with the Madeira liqueur wine, reduce and leave to cool. Mix into the sausage meat.

Rinse and clean the spinach and blanch briefly in salted water. Rinse and pat dry. Pluck the sage leaves.

Preheat the oven to 200°C top and bottom heat.

Spread out the puff pastry. Cover the bottom third with the spinach and spread with sausage meat. Top with sage, tongue, liver and ham.

Cover with the remaining sausage meat and fold in the puff pastry. Press the edges together well.

Place the pâté on a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush with egg yolk. Prick the pastry a few times with the tip of a knife and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown. Serve cut into slices.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

PA RTNE R R ECI PE

S PA E T ZLE IN T RUF F LE C R E A M SAUC E WIT H S HIME JI MUS HROOMS Serves 2 ‒ 3 › › › ›

Olive oil 1 ‒ 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 shallot, chopped 100 g Shimeji mushrooms

15 minutes › › › ›

10 minutes

250 ml cream (40 %) 1 tsp chicken stock powder 1 tbsp tartufata (truffle cream) Salt and pepper from the mill

› A few fresh truffle slices for decoration

› 1 pack spaetzle Le Moulin (80 ‒ 100 g per person)

1 Sauté the garlic and shallot in a little olive oil, then add the mushrooms and fry briefly.

2 Deglaze with the cream, stir in the chicken stock powder and bring everything to the boil.

Add 1 tablespoon tartufata and reduce the sauce until it is slightly thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3 Cook the spaetzle according to the instructions on the packet, drain and mix in a bowl with the truffle and mushroom sauce.

4 Divide onto plates and decorate with freshly grated truffles and sprouts if desired.

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PHOTO

Enia Haeck

lemoulin1704.lu

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

KNOWLEDGE BITES

T RUF F LE C ULT UR E I N LUXE MB OURG A S TORY OF PAT I E NC E

As we walk in the direction of the land of truffle cultivation, a dense fog covers the vineyards of the Domaine Henri Ruppert.

The yapping of dogs breaks the morning’s peace and quiet. Do they already smell the truffles under the soil? On this lovely September morning, the time for truffle hunting has began.

12 years ago, Henri Ruppert, the owner of the wine estate “Domaine Henri Ruppert” was a novice in the culture of truffles. One day, one of his friends told him that truffles can be found in the soils of Luxembourg. “Truffle hunting is not rooted in our culture, but I was immediately intrigued by this activity,” explained Henri Ruppert.

A geological analysis around his domain revealed an extremely limestone-heavy soil, a favourable environment for the culture of truffles. But, launching such an enterprise is a risky business: a wait of at least 5 years is needed before truffles can be found and harvested, and, most importantly, it is possible that no truffles are found for years – without any obvious explanation. Notwithstanding these risks, Henri Ruppert took up the challenge. He planted hazel trees and hornbeams on his land, and had no choice than to grin and bear it.

The first truffle was harvested after 8 years. It was a Tuber Uncinatum which is still the species harvested today. “Ultimately, the soil produces the truffle. Even if a tree has been mycorrhized with a certain truffle, another species might be harvested,” explains Henri Ruppert.

The harvest of truffles is extremely unpredictable, and rainfall is key to the success. Luckily, the truffle trees planted by Henri Ruppert are located 300 meters

away from the Schengen spring. “As of next year, I will be able to water my lands with the water from the spring1 .

That is ideal!”

Trained dogs to hunt truffles

The hunting period of the Tuber Uncinatum lasts from September to December. “During that period, we hunt every three weeks, to give the soil time to rest,” explains Henri.

Truffles hunting is done with dogs, commonly the Lagottos breed, that can locate matured truffles in the soil. “We need to follow them closely as we do not want them to eat their discoveries!” Then, the truffle is carved out from the soil with a pickaxe or a steel shaft. For the first time since the beginning of the truffle culture on his domain, Henri Ruppert has harvested more than 3 kilos of truffles on a single hunt! “Thanks to the heavy rains we have had in Luxembourg, this year is exceptional,” Philippe Materne 2 , a truffles expert, told us. He has been hunting on the Schengen plantation for some years now.

A high-quality truffle

Once harvested, the truffle remains fresh for 14 days if stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Over time, the truffle “sweats” and loses its size and taste.

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TEXT PHOTOS

Marion Finzi Ramunas Astrauskas

An unpredictable culture

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

KNOWLEDGE BITES

“Ultimately, the soil produces the truffle.

Even if a tree has been mycorrhized with a certain truffle, another species might be harvested.”

1

The Schengen source has been declared non-potable because of a high quantity of nitrate.

2

Expert in truffle culture: maternephilippe@orange.fr

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

83

Most of the truffles sold in Luxembourg are imported from Italy or Eastern European countries, without being able to trace their exact “age.” “On our truffles, we could stamp a PDO as they have a rare freshness and a top quality. We are a purely local distribution network.”

With the successful last truffle harvest, Henri Ruppert hopes to supply local restaurants with his products, and organises truffle hunting discovery days, with a tasting of fresh truffles at the end. “I can picture it: a lovely fall day, savouring a simple fried egg sprinkled with fresh truffles while drinking a glass of Crémant…

Enjoying the truffle in its perfect simplicity,” concludes the happy truffle farmer.

C HR IS TM AS CR AF TS WIT H HE IK E

DO IT YOURSELF

We all agree that it’s the homemade gifts that bring the most joy. So why not make the wrapping paper yourself this year? There are boundless possibilities, and you don’t even need a whole lot of utensils.

Heike Meyers shows us how it’s done.

More inspiration from Heike can be found on her instagram @ Pfeffermachtgluecklich or at pmg.lu

C HOCOL AT E HE A RTS These delicious Christmas cookies also make great edible pendants for Christmas parcels.

They taste good all year round anyway!

1 Mix the finely grated chocolate with the butter, the icing sugar and the salt.

2 Stir in the egg, then add the flour mixed with the cocoa.

3 Knead everything briefly, shape into a brick with your hands and let it rest in the refrigerator for 45

minutes, wrapped in foil. Preheat the oven to 160°C top/bottom heat.

4 Line a baking tray with baking paper.

5 Roll out the dough, cut out hearts, poke a small hole in each (this works very well with a fine straw). Place

the hearts onto the baking paper and bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes.

6 Take them out and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.

7 Thread a pretty, narrow ribbon or cord through the hole. This makes them nice to use as gift tags,

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Christmas tree ornaments or even napkin rings.

Heike Meyers Ramunas Astrauskas

50 g fine chocolate, finely grated 130 g soft butter 60 g icing sugar, sifted 1 small pinch of salt 1 egg 240 g flour 20 g cocoa

INSTRUCTIONS PHOTOS

› › › › › › ›

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

DO IT YOURSELF

WOOL POM-POMS

WR A PPING PA PE R

› 1 fork with 4 prongs › Wool

› › › › › › ›

F ROM A FOR K

1 Wind the wool several times around

the 4 prongs. Then cut the thread.

WIT H TAT E R PR INTS Wrapping paper Potatoes Felt-tip pen Knife Acrylic paint Paintbrush Scissors

2 Tie the bundle in the middle with a piece

of wool.

3 Strip the bundle from the fork, cut all the

1 First cut the potato in half. You can cut out

two different motifs from one potato.

2 Draw the desired motif on the potato with a

felt-tip pen. Now carefully cut out the motif with a sharp, pointed knife.

3 Brush the cut-out motif with paint.

Cut the paper to the desired size and print it with the stamp.

4 As soon as the paint has dried, the gifts can be wrapped.

86

loops of the bundle and trim the wool threads all to one length. This will make the pom-pom nice and round.

4 Gently tap the bobble on the edge of the table to make it nice and fluffy.

5 The pom-poms can be used to decorate Christmas parcels. Those patient enough can also make a beautiful necklace out of lots of colourful pom-poms.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

87

ILLUSTR ATION

Yo l a n d e K o s t e r

R A INBOW PAS TA SA L A D

An initiative of the Luxembourgish Government in the framework of the plan “Gesond iessen, Méi beweegen”.

More infos: gimb.lu

T H E B E S T PA R T I S IN S IDE

S U B S C R I B E TO P U R E D EL I G H T !

O N E Y E A R O F K AC H E N O N LY 4 4 €

SUG A R PIE

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RECIPE & PHOTO

Anne Lommel

T Y P I C A L LY LU X E M B O U R G I S H

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

T Y P I C A L LY LU X E M B O U R G I S H

1 cake of 26 – 28 cm Ø 20 minutes + standing 20 minutes

For the dough

› › › › › › ›

160 g milk, room temperature 350 g flour, type 550 20 g fresh yeast 50 g butter, room temperature 30 g cane sugar 1 egg, room temperature 1 tsp salt

Also

› +/- 60 g butter, room temperature › 3 – 4 tbsp cane sugar

1 Dissolve the yeast in 2 – 3 tablespoons milk and set aside. Heat the

3 4 5 6

7

lommelscuisine

91

2

remaining milk, butter and sugar until the butter has melted without boiling. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Pour the flour into a bowl. Add the milk mixture, egg and dissolved yeast.

Mix the dough quickly with a wooden spoon and knead and tap for a good 10 minutes until a smooth ball is formed. Cover and leave to rest for 40 minutes.

Grease and flour a suitable tart or baking tin.

Degas the dough briefly, shape into a round and press into the tin with your hands. Cover and leave to rise for approx. 30 – 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C top/bottom heat.

Press several indentations into the cake with your fingers and add pieces of the soft butter. Spread a little butter over the entire surface. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for approx. 15 – 20 minutes until the desired brownness is reached.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

GRANNY’S RECIPE

PA L AT IN AT E

92

RECIPE PHOTO

Cédric Libar Enia Haeck

C A B BAG E ROLL S

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

GRANNY’S RECIPE

The traditional cabbage rolls from the German Palatinate have always been particularly popular during the cold winter months. Then as now, the entire Szydlowski family, children and grandchildren included, enjoy this delicious and warming dish. By the way, the recipe comes from the grandmother of Cédric Libar, who did an internship in the KACHEN editorial department as part of his graphic design studies!

Serves 4 50 minutes 40 minutes

› Nutmeg › 8 thin slices of bacon › 2 tbsp clarified butter

For the cabbage roulades

› › › › › › › ›

1 white cabbage 700 g mixed minced meat 1 egg 1 roll from the previous day 1 onion Salt Pepper ½ tsp marjoram

1 Blanch 8 whole white cabbage leaves in

For the sauce

› › › ›

5 Heat the clarified butter in a roasting pan.

Sear the roulades on all sides until they have taken on colour. Fry the bacon cubes for 5 minutes, then pour in the meat stock.

Cover and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.

6 Remove the roulades and keep warm. Add the cream to the sauce and reduce a little.

If necessary, thicken slightly with sauce thickener and season with salt and pepper.

7 Serve the sauce with the cabbage rolls.

Serve with mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes.

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portions in boiling salted water for approx.

4 minutes. Rinse in ice water and pat dry.

2 Soak the bread roll in lukewarm water.

Finely dice the onion.

3 Mix the minced meat with the squeezedout roll, the onion cubes and the egg.

Season with salt, pepper, marjoram and nutmeg.

4 Spread the mince mixture over the cabbage leaves. First fold in the sides, then roll up, cover with a slice of bacon and tie with kitchen twine.

100 g bacon cubes 500 ml meat stock 200 ml cream Sauce thickener, if needed

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

MY LUXEMBOURG

VEAL & C R AY F IS H

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RECIPE PHOTOS

Louis Scholtès Ramunas Astrauskas

TA RTA R WIT H A PPLE JUIC E JE LLY F ROM C LE RVAUX A B B E Y

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

MY LUXEMBOURG

At the entrance to the Koener Hotel in Clervaux, chef Louis Scholtès invites us into his kitchen to demonstrate a recipe that reflects his style. Passionate about the marine world and concerned about fresh and local products, the young chef combines crayfish and apple juice from Clervaux Abbey to create an explosive pairing. Having settled in Clervaux in June 2021 to manage the Excellence Hotels group alongside his family, Camille and Jean Scholtès, Louis Scholtès composes his menus with seasonal products in collaboration with local Luxembourgish artisans and producers. In love with nature, the chef draws his inspiration from his walks in the forest: “For me, nature is the best way to recharge my batteries, but also to develop new ideas. My cooking is influenced by everything I can find in the forest. I spend hours in the woods discovering, picking and tasting. Being in the heart of the Luxembourg Ardennes is a real source of inspiration. Developing and creating new concepts for our restaurants has been really exciting and rewarding. I am now looking forward to launching my new creations.” Before discovering his new concepts in the heart of Clervaux, discover the chef’s exclusive luxembourgish recipe for Kachen...

Serves 4 25 minutes 10 minutes

500 g veal fillet 500 g crayfish 1 shallot 70 g hazelnuts 1 Granny Smith apple

› 1 egg yolk › ½ l hazelnut oil › 1 l Clervaux Abbey apple juice (or other)

› Savora mustard

1 Brown the veal tenderloin and cool it in 2 3

4

5 6

7

› Salt › Pepper › Tabasco

water Cook the crayfish in boiling water for 1.5 minutes, then cool in ice.

Chop the shallot. Cut the Granny Smith apple into brunoise. Set aside a quarter of the apple to be cut into sticks for decoration.

Reduce the apple juice to molasses and gradually whisk in the hazelnut oil to a gel consistency.

Cut the veal tenderloin into brunoise Peel the crayfish tails and claws. Set aside 4 claws and 4 tails for decoration. Cut the tails into brunoise.

Mix the crayfish, apple and veal brunoise in a bowl. Add one teaspoon of mustard,

one egg yolk, the chopped shallot, 3 drops of Tabasco, one tablespoon of hazelnut oil, salt and pepper. Test the seasoning.

8 Place the brunoise mixture on a plate and arrange the Granny Smith sticks, a crayfish tail and a peeled claw on top for decoration.

Place the chervil on the sticks. Arrange the apple juice gel next to it. Enjoy!

WINE PAIRING

Ahn Goellebour 2019/2020 Gewürztraminer - White Maison Viticole Schmit-Fohl

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› › › › ›

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

R E STAU R A N T PORT R A I T

C A F É DE PA R IS , When mentioning Café de Paris to Luxemburgish resi- the smiley chef bringing courses to the clients and walkdents, some of them recall memorable and endless ing around the tables to discuss the meals. evenings there, which dragged on well into the night.

On sunny days, another kind of experience awaits About 35 years ago, the Café de Paris was the late night you on the beautiful terrace surrounded by century-old hangout for RTL staff after broadcasting the German trees. From April to November – placing the café as one programme RTL Télé, as well as a place to talk politics of the last survivors offering tables outside in the winter over a beer and a tray of Luxembourg sausages. Some season – the terrace is the perfect spot to get a true feelothers describe it as an unchanging and reassuring place, ing of the Place d’Armes atmosphere, bringing together a perfect spot to end a day, especially in the spring, enjoy- a diverse crowd. ing the last sunbeams on their terrace.

“We have very diverse customers, with a lot of tourThis famous café is an institution in Luxembourg. ists at the weekends, regular customers in the week for Located at Place d’Armes, a symbolic place in the city, this lunches or afterwork drinks, and also families” explains brasserie brings, for decades now, French Jean-Grégoire d’Amman. gastronomy into the heart of LuxemIn the kitchen, the chef Ronyl, who has bourg City. worked for a long-time side by side with chef Fabrice Salvador, continues to offer Since 2016, Café de Paris has been “This is the real traditional French meals, while adding taken over by the owners of the hotel small French café a touch of modernity and creativity. In “Le Place d’Armes” with a clear idea in offering tasteful the heart of winter, you will be able to mind: no changes shall be made to its cuisine all day long taste a bœuf bourguignon or a delicious DNA that succeeded to remain the same in a cosy and relaxed fish blanquette. Iconic recipes, such as throughout the years. Even though the atmosphere.” cassoulet, croque-monsieur or salads stay logo has been modernised, its name permanently on the menu. hasn’t been changed to retain all its Regular customers also like to stop by historical dimensions.

“The Café de Paris is the keeper of the French café life for a glass of wine. The sommelier, Olivier Schanne , has in Luxembourg, and we cherish that. This is the real small elaborated a selection with various wines perfect for after French café offering tasteful cuisine all day long in a cosy work drinks, greatly appreciated with a simple ham and and relaxed atmosphere,” explains Jean-Grégoire d’Am- cheese platter.

A careful balance has been made between classic wines man, manager of the Place d’Armes and of other entities (Côte du Rhône, Bourgogne, Syrah) and more “advenof the group, including the Café de Paris.

You need to enjoy a meal at the Café de Paris to get the turous” ones, such as Viognier or a Rhaïfrensch from true feeling of the place. When entering the main room, Domaine KOX, “to please everyone’s tastes and purses,” which is opened onto the Place, its small size immediately as explained by the sommelier.

Café de Paris has evolved throughout the years while gives you a comfy feeling, emphasised by the warm colour choices, with white and red stripes on the walls and a long keeping its soul, giving it a reassuring immutability.

It is the perfect petit café in which to take refuge booth in terracotta tones. Hanging on the wall, a black and white photo representing the front door of the café, surrounded with friends, and to enjoy a good meal probably dating back to the beginning of the century, is warmed up by one (or more) glasses of wine. witness to time passing by.

On the small tables, old paper place mats have been replaced by burgundy leather mats setting a simple and CAFÉ DE PARIS welcoming table.

Facing the booth, various wine bottles stand on the bar 18, Place d’Armes — L-1136 Luxembourg giving the sudden urge to sip a glass of wine at the counTél. +352 / 26 20 37 70 ter, while discussing matters with the attentive employees. While seated, pay attention, you will probably witness hotel-leplacedarmes.com/le-cafe-de-paris

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TEXT PHOTOS

Marion Finzi Ramunas Astrauskas

A T IME L E S S C A F É

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

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R E STAU R A N T PORT R A I T

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

PORTRAIT OF A CHEF

T HE A DV E NT UR E S OF

TEXT PHOTO

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Sébastien Perrot is a passionate chef from Chablis in make French-style risottos with cream! I had to go to Italy Burgundy with a love for life and adventure. If he’s not to get to grips with the cuisine.”

He soon fell in love with this simple but delicious style conjuring up dishes in his kitchen of the Mu restaurant at the Sofitel Grand Ducal then you’ll find him putting of cooking, “focusing on my beloved good produce,” and pedal to the metal on his bike. Things could have been spent years at Sofitel.

He was made chef at the new Sofitel Grand-Ducal in very different though. “I wanted to join the French Navy.”

2008 and took care of the grand opening: “Another big But life had other ideas in store.

He spent his childhood in the countryside with his challenge!”

Since taking up his position at the Sofitel Grand-Ducal, farming grandparents and butcher father. “I always ate good, local home-cooked food. I have fond memories of his cuisine has evolved to adapt to the trends and desires Sunday family meals and the wonderful aromas!” says of the clientele. “In our menu, we combine the quality of local products with simple dishes, so that our customers Sébastien Perrot. can experience a moment of sharing and He couldn’t wait to get out into the real conviviality around the plate.” world, so he did an NVQ in cookery. He When asked today to define his cuisine, headed to Paris when he was 18 to start his “My dishes reflect Chef Perrot smiles, a thoughtful look on first job. “I only wanted one thing: to expemy background, his face. While he explains that he wants rience something new and totally different but I let my team to offer simple and reassuring recipes, to my old life. Two Yonne chefs based in express theirs too.” such as a beautiful entrecôte (from LuxemParis hired me and the rest is history!” bourg!) or a well-worked salmon, which will He earned his stripes at the then 2 Michelin-starred Méridien Etoile. “I remember being speak to all of their international clientele, he seems to be invaded by olfactory memories of his childhood. The blown away when I first saw the kitchen.”

The ever adventurous chef snapped up a demi-chef de same ones that pushed him to launch himself into this partie position at the Hôtel Concorde Lafayette Miche- profession of passion.

“You can’t do this job without being ready to question lin-starred restaurant alongside Chef Jean-Claude Lhonneur. He was “a mentor who taught me a great deal about yourself and to let yourself be impregnated by various culinary universes. My kitchen brings together my expecookery techniques.”

He spent time in other Michelin-starred establishments rience, but also that of my team.”

Chef Perrot, as a passionate cook and chef who listens in the French capital before it was time to make a career choice. “I loved the structure of hotels and having to have to his brigade, trains his team as he was taught in the lots of different skills suited me perfectly. So, I decided to greatest kitchens, and gladly accepts to work on dishes that he knows little about, handed down by the younger stay in hospitality.”

The chef joined the Accor Group as chef de partie at generation. A chameleon-like chef who adapts to the Sofitel Arc de Triomphe then gastro sous-chef at Relais whims of his encounters, without denying his values and de Sèvres. It marked a milestone in his career as Chef his love of well-made cuisine.

Perrot had to tackle new responsibilities such as managing a team and creating a menu. “I was lucky that Chef Miecaze gave me lots of freedom to experiment and hone MU LUXEMBOURG my style.”

His sense of adventure resurfaced after his spell in 40, Boulevard d’Avranches — L-1660 Luxembourg Paris. Luxembourg set the scene for his next challenge.

Tel. +352 / 24 87 73 10 Chef Perrot was made chef at Sofitel Europe and took over Oro e Argento serving Italian dishes. “I only knew how to muluxembourg.lu

Marion Finzi Ramunas Astrauskas

S É BA S T IE N PE R ROT

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

CHEF’S MASTER CLASS

PAN - FR IED F OIE G R AS w it h poppy seeds f rom t he Our val ley & cream of t wo celer ie s Serves 4 For the cream of two celeries

1/2 ball of celeriac 2 stalks of celery 1 onion 1 garlic clove 20 g butter ½ l milk (the quantity should be adapted according to the

10 minutes

quantity of celery; the volume of milk and celery should be equal) › 1 level tsp of wholegrain mustard › 1 tsp hazelnut oil › Salt and freshly ground pepper

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› › › › › ›

25 minutes

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

For the foie gras cutlets

› 4 raw foie gras escalopes › Poppy seeds Fot the dressing

› Golden bread croutons › Some celery leaves

CHEF’S MASTER CLASS

THE CREAM OF TWO CELERIES

1

2

In a saucepan, sweat the onion and garlic in the butter, add the celery and stir for 5 minutes.

4

Blend in the mustard and hazelnut oil until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Keep warm.

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3

Add the milk to the pan, bring to the boil and cook gently until melted.

RECIPE PHOTOS

Sébastien Perrot Ramunas Astrauskas

Peel the onion, garlic clove, celeriac and celery stalk. Set aside the small leaves of the tender celery. Mince the onion and garlic. Cut the celeriac and celery into small cubes.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

CHEF’S MASTER CLASS

THE FOIE GR AS CUTLETS

1

Season and bread the foie gras cutlets with poppy seeds on one side only, patting them between your hands to remove the excess poppy seeds.

3

2

In a hot frying pan, cook the foie gras escalopes, starting with the poppy seeded surface, for two to three minutes on each side depending on thickness.

Immediately remove the foie gras escalopes and place onto a stove grate and keep warm.

THE SERVING

2

Decorate with a few croutons of bread browned in butter and small tender celery leaves.

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1

Arrange the foie gras cutlets with poppy seeds in the centre of the plates and surround them with the cream of two celeries.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

ADVERTORIAL

E H T L , T R A I N I NG F OR E XC E L L E NC E ‒ IN PR AC T IC E Laetitia Girard is the founder of “The Vendôm Company,” which assists big names in the luxury industry in the recruitment of young talents. “By placing the human being at the heart of the process,” insists the company director.

An interesting approach that Michel Lanners, director of the EHTL, wanted to know more about. Over the past four years, the EHTL has taken off in a new direction through the implementation of an ambitious institutional development strategy. A recurring question prods its director. “Schools are often criticised for not taking sufficiently into account the requirements of the field, which are too remote from professional reality as far as developments are concerned.

This is why the EHTL actively seeks a connection with the professional world, in order to better understand the expectations and anticipate expected developments.”

THESE WERE, AMONG OTHERS, SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES DISCUSSED

BY THE TWO PROFESSIONALS FROM THE HOSPITALIT Y SEC TOR .

TR ANSPARENCY AND AUTHENTICIT Y

According to the CEO, being honest with the students is a matter of integrity for the school. “It is a great value which is in the process of being lost today – yet it would help to avoid a sense of frustration which can be found among some students.” It is necessary to observe how the students evolve within a group and identify individualists and collectivists. Encouraging self-reflection and analysing their personality traits allows for the school professionals to implement an appropriate leaning path.

“Everyone is different and does not aspire to the same positions. Not everyone is cut out to be a manager, which is ultimately quite fortunate!”

GET TING TO KNOW YOURSELF

An effective job search should be based on sending out targeted applications. Targeted in the sense that the future employee must be knowledgeable in terms of his/ her strengths and weaknesses to apply for the appropriate company. “Some people need to evolve in a large, structured group, while others need more autonomy. All of this has to be learned by the student, who also needs to develop personally through training.

DISCOVERING THE COMPANY

A common mistake made by students while searching for employment is to aim for a job that is prestigious. “You have to take a hard look behind the scenes of the company to get to know the spirit of the business.”

Laetitia Girard also raises the notions of curiosity and audacity which are often forgotten by students that are trying to find a job as soon as possible. “It also means reconsidering the time spent in class. Regular exchanges with students in order to better understand them would allow to avoid unnecessary detours and provide additional value to the lessons.”

PERSONAL BAL ANCE FOR PROFESSIONAL FULFILMENT

Building a career takes many years. It is not a race. “When I decided to launch Vendôm, I took time, a lot of time, which was justified, because I wanted to preserve our DNA and not lose my way.”

This kind of perspective perfectly suits the EHTL director’s approach, who sees the teachers’ educational action enhanced and confirmed by focusing on the fundamentals. “Indeed, if we cannot teach young people the essentials of life, there is no point in having a school,” concludes the director. ehtl.lu

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

Food Stylist, Cake Designer, Food Blogger, Mother... Reyhan Gül, originally from Istanbul, inspires with her dedication towards her passions. She is also the winner of the Main Sponsor Food Category of the Blog Award 2020.

T UR K IS H M A NT I

E X PAT R ECI PE

reyhanskitchenn

Serves 6 – 8

50 minutes

For the dough

› 500 g flour

(plus a little extra for rolling)

› 1 tsp salt › 2 beaten eggs › Water, as needed For the filling

› 250 g ground beef › 2 onions, grated and squeezed dry

› 1 tsp salt › 1/2 tsp black pepper › 1/2 tsp paprika (optional) For the garlic yoghurt sauce

finely chopped

› 300 g Turkish yoghurt or thick and creamy plain yoghurt

› Salt to taste

For the spicy butter sauce

› › › ›

3 tbsp butter 2 tsp dried mint 2 tsp Turkish red pepper flakes 1 tsp sumac for optional garnish

Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Form a well in the middle, add the eggs and combine using a fork. Slowly knead in enough water to make a firm, uniform dough, for about 5 – 10 minutes. (Manti dough should be quite firm) 2 Wrap in plastic wrap and leave to rest in a cold place or in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, place the ground beef, onions, salt, black pepper, and paprika (optional) in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly.

4 In a separate bowl, combine the yoghurt with the crushed garlic and season with salt to your taste.

5 Cut the dough into equal pieces. Working one piece of dough at a time (covering the rest of the dough with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out), roll it out on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin to about 2 mm in thickness. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut it first into strips and then into roughly 2.5 cm small squares.

6 Spoon a little of the filling, about the size of a chickpea, into the centre of each square and shape each into a small bundle, ensuring that all the corners are sealed.

7 Place the Manti on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle a little flour on them to prevent any from sticking.

8 In a large pot, boil ½ l of water and season well with salt. Once boiling, cook the Manti for about 10 minutes until softened but they should still have a bite.

9 For the butter sauce, melt the butter and add in dried mint and red pepper flakes in a saucepan, stirring regularly. Remove from heat after about 30 seconds.

10 To serve, dress with yoghurt and butter sauce according to taste. I also love to sprinkle a little sumac and extra dried mint on it. Afiyet olsun!

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RECIPE PHOTOS

Reyhan Gül Marc Dostert

› 2 – 3 garlic cloves, mashed and

15 minutes

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

ADVERTORIAL

COME UP ROS E S The fine dining restaurant LES ROSES at the Mondorf-les-Bains casino unveiled its brand-new look back in September.

François Jagut has been in charge of Les Roses for over a year and kept a close eye on the restaurant’s makeover.

The modern interior echoes the chef’s vibrant, creative and sophisticated culinary style. The all-new design, crockery, furniture and lighting ooze the “intimate, cool, cosy and natural” vibe that the chef wanted.

It’s not just the interior that’s been given an update for autumn: there’s a brand-new menu too. “It was a bit of a challenge getting back into the kitchen after two months of renovation work and lockdown. We were a bit nervous, but it all worked out in the end both design- and menuwise,” says the chef. What do the diners and regulars think about Les Roses’ new look? François Jagut says: “I greet our guests at every service. I’m delighted to say they couldn’t be happier. I keep hearing them say “Wow.” The renovation has been a huge success.”

The chef highlights the interior designer’s gentle touch “in terms of both harmonious colours and cosy lighting.

We mainly open for dinner, so lighting is key.”

Would he do the same if he had to do it all again?

There’s no question: “In a heartbeat, I love how it makes the space feel.”

The chef works with seasonal produce and has just added new dishes to the menu such as “Saint Pierre Rôti” or “Pigeon Royal”. How about the festive season? “There are going to be Christmas and New Year’s Eve menus.”

Get ready to feast on a 5-course menu for 99 € on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (lunch and dinner) showcasing foie gras, crab, sole, truffle chicken and a fresh spin on the Yule Log, griottines, mascarpone and spiced ice cream.

The seven course New Year’s Eve menu for 198 € doesn’t scrimp on premium delicacies either. François Jagut works his magic on foie gras, lobster, caviar, langoustine, monkfish, pigeon, truffle, Buddha’s hand (a curious Asian citrus fruit) and frozen truffle chocolate and hazelnut dessert. What better way to end the year on a high?!

Open Monday & Thursday 19h - 23h, Friday & Saturday 19h - 00h Sunday 12h - 14h & 19h - 23h Opening hours are subject to change.

To stay informed, go to casino2000.lu Reservations:

MADE IN LUXEMBOURG

HUNGRY PIGEON COOKIES

Elena Desuesir has always loved cookies, but not all of them: the kind that are thick and soft inside and crunchy on the outside; cookies that she discovered through American friends when she was young. After such a discovery, she spent numerous years practicing her baking skills – with one goal: achieving the perfect cookie recipe. “Each time I was invited to a dinner party, I brought cookies.

They were a huge hit, and some of my friends told me to sell them!” explained Elena.

A few years later, during the first lockdown, Elena seriously started to think about the best way to send her cookies to loved ones. “While looking on Instagram, I discovered a success story from ladies who launched a cookies’ business online. At the same time, I wanted to offer a thoughtful gift to a friend but couldn’t find the perfect one. All that added up and I decided to start my own company!” Elena says.

Hungry Pigeon was born. A website selling cookie boxes online, baked on demand to avoid any waste, to offer to others or to treat yourself. The funny name was perfect the pick for the owner: “pigeons are always looking for crumbs, and never leave any behind!”

Elena bakes a variety of cookies. The less adventurous ones will go for the classic chocolate chucks – “never with chips!” – but the bold ones should go for the hybrid box in which speculoos cookies, Red Velvet or the “Schubi” cookie with a heart of Nutella can be enjoyed.

You can order the boxes online, via the website, from Monday to Thursday, with a pickup during the weekends in the city centre. Elena also offers corporate orders.

“But it is always frustrating not to see the reaction of the customers while eating the cookies! I had the chance to meet some of my clients at an event in LuxExpo The Box, and I hope to do more events of that kind in the future,” said Elena.

Hungry Pigeon’s cookies can be found at different points of sale. “We sell our matcha cookies at Manzoku’s,” Elena told us.

Last, but not least, all the packaging is biodegradable and Elena only cooks with local ingredients.

Now it’s up to you to make a choice, but do not leave any crumbs… beware of the pigeons!

More information at hungrypigeoncookies.com

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TEXT

Marion Finzi

NO C RUMB S LE F T B E HIND!

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

E B E U Q I N O M

R E CK

ART

Monique Becker’s work is a never-ending exploration of black set against white, shades of grey and earthy hues. The large, magical pieces demand their audience’s total physical and emotional connection. What sets these paintings apart is their spontaneity and exciting use of brushes, body parts and colours.

The artist not only uses her hands but her entire body to give her paintings texture, “The most difficult adding scrapes and streaks experiment is to into the work. She conjures implement the up an array of colour (black, sensivity and the white, grey, ochre, brown, daily emotions anew dusky pink, olive green) in my paintings.” and a fiery motion that bewitches audiences. Paint and materials are layered and come together to capture the artist’s sense of liberty and zest for life. Monique’s paintings radiate sensual intensity and emotion. They explore the artist herself, how she feels and her relationship with nature.

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More infos: valeriusartgallery.com moniquebecker.lu

ARTISTS

SANDRA LIENERS

TIME OUT TO THINK

TATIANA VOLONTIR

Her famous uncle gave the young Moldavian her passion for art photography with expert advice and great references. The portraits she shoots are unique concepts; carefully considered yet naturally intuitive. The set-up (frame, light, colour, background) may reflect the model’s personality but the photograph gives the magic of the moment pride of place.

Tatiana gets to know the people she shoots to make her pieces a blend of subtle symbols that capture them perfectly. She’s a responsible artist who just wants sincerity and truth in her shots. Her bonds with men and women from different backgrounds and nationalities form a collection: #Beautiful_People_of_Luxembourg

#sandralienersartist

#TatianaVolontir_Photographer

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TEXT

Emilie Di Vincenzo

PHOTO G R A PH Y I S T RU T H

Sandra is a freelance artist who threw herself into what she loves to do: create. She lives without limits, in total freedom with her art between residencies and her studio. She mixes elements of her art studies in Vienna and Florence into her pieces. She likes to explore the thought processes behind each and every one of them and is particularly interested in how people experience the piece based on a specific theme. Like a phoenix from the ashes, her oil painting restores expertly chosen vintage items to their former glory and plucks them from oblivion: transported to the here and now on canvas, wood or mementoes.

Her trademark is a clear boundary between abstract and figurative art with a grey area that captures the sense that “things are never completely black and white.” In December at Galerie Ceysson and Bénétière in Wandhaff.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

ARTISTS

MIA KINSCH

R E V E A L I NG THE FEMALE N U DE

LEILA SAINT JAMES

BEHIND T H E SC E N E S Leila is an actress and artist who takes things as they come. The multi-talented artist has lots on the go but always makes time for each of her creative projects. Her first love is painting, which she discovered as a teenager, before she was introduced to theatre at high school. These two artforms are essential to keeping her on an even keel: one keeps her grounded whilst the other unleashes her sense of showmanship. Her canvases capture the thoughts that guide her.

Her joyful pieces are splashed with bright colour in acrylic paint or oil sticks then finished with text. What’s her USP? Telling stories with a good dose of humour. That’s where the stage comes in. In the end, wherever you are, it all begins when you come up with the title...

She got into painting during her masters in graphic design. Mia was looking for a liberating form of expression where she alone was the master of her decisions. She manages to say what she wants with the paintbrush despite being more hemmed in as a graphic designer.

She has a passion for the female form and explores how women feel about their bodies.

Should they show it? Yes, but how? What are the boundaries? She’s deeply disturbed by how society tends to sexualise the female body.

So she wants to turn things on their head, no matter what people think. Is she a feminist?

She campaigns for feminism in her art which is pro-women, not anti-men. Her drawings may strip her art bare, but she still wants to pursue her work in textile design. #mia.mi.ki

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#leisaintjames for art #dear_leila for theatre/film

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

T H E K AC HE N TA S T Y B OX PR E-OR DE R THE SECOND EDITION NOW - AVAIL ABLE AS OF MARCH -

E RE MB N C E D T IO E DI OU T !

D SOL

Discover the latest and most iconic products from Luxembourg and the Greater Region in our unique box, filled to the brim with surprises, delivered four times a year, always together with the publication of your KACHEN magazine. An excellent gift to treat yourself or others! In addition to the culinary goodies, each box contains limited editions of KACHEN merchandise, recipes, cooking and lifestyle accessories.

Available* as a one-off order or as an annual subscription.

Single order: 54 € (1 box) Subscription: 210 € (4 boxes) or 235 € (4 boxes including KACHEN subscription for 1 year).

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AGENDA

C ULT UR A L

AGE NDA

WORLD PRESS PHOTO Abbaye de Neumünster Until 20.12.2021 The World Press annual competition rewards individual photographers in several categories.

The pandemic, the climate crisis, social justice, are some of the themes chosen by the winners to feature in their photos.

ANTHROPOCEAN – DESTRUCTION OF A SILENT WORLD Rotonde 2 - Buvette Until 30.01.2022 The “silent” world from the depths of the oceans has changed these last years, victim of an increasing sound pollution. In this exposition, Ganaël Dumreicher, Michelle Kleyr and Lucie Wahl uses recordings from submarines to bring us the real sounds of the ocean. neon.ly/rotondes-anthro

neon.ly/neimenster-wpp

STRONGER THAN MEMORY AND WEAKER THAN DEWDROPS Casino Luxembourg Until 30.01.2022 This multimedia exposition of Karolina Markiewicz and Pascal Piron has been created around poetry to depict our current world, its history, its memory, and its myths. neon.ly/casino-drops

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PHOTO E XP OS I T ION

OUR WORLD IN IMAGES

Our selection of cultural events to travel through oceans, to Sweden, across Greece… all while staying in Luxembourg.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

MUS IC

MUSIC SOFTENS THE HEARTS

AGENDA

LIVE CINEMA Philharmonie 04.02.2022 at 20.00

JAZZ CONCERT De Gudde Wëllen 18.12.2021 at 21.00 & 19.12.2021 at 17.00 Four musicians and friends offer a cosy evening filled with soft sounds of modern jazz. The ideal night to warm up your heart numbed by the Luxemburgish December cold.

A non-classic movie night during which you can watch two silent-movies, An Eastern Westerner and Safety Last! accompanied by the Orchestre Philarmonique de Luxembourg. neon.ly/phil-cinema

DA NC E

A TRIP TO GREECE

deguddewellen.lu

ABBA STORY Comédie musicale Casino 2OOO 12.03.2022 at 20.30 A lovely evening where you have to get ready to use your voice, as it will be impossible not to sing-along to the cult songs of the Swedish group ABBA, performed in this musical. neon.ly/c2000-abba

ALI ET HEDI TABET – UWRUBBA Grand Théâtre 18 & 19.03.2022 at 20.00 CHRISTOS PAPADOPOULOS – LARSEN C Grand Théâtre 19.01.2022 at 20.00 Six dancers shall perform on the Grand-Théâtre stage, for the first time in Luxembourg, a choreography from the Greek dancer and choreograph Christos Papadopoulos.

“A Mediterranean opera” is how Ali and Hèdi Thabet think of their latest production. Inspired by Greek mythology and Greek music, the brothers also draw on their own dual heritage from Europe and the East to tell a poetic story of love, humanity and exile. neon.ly/uwrubba

The choreographers Koen Augustijnen and Rosalba Torres Guerrero offer Lamenta, dance theatre inspired by traditional Greek mourning songs. neon.ly/lamenta

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neon.ly/christos

KOEN AUGUSTIJNEN ET ROSALBA TORRES GUERRERO Grand Théâtre 02 & 03.02.2022 at 20.00

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

ADVERTORIAL

FAC E S & SUPPORTERS OF

VIRGINIE WIT TISCHE UNION OF VILLE RUP T ’S ME RCHANTS Supports Esch2022 The union of Villerupt’s merchants, “En ville,” brings over 40 merchants together. Its president Virginie Wittische is thrilled about Esch2022, for her city and the region. “For us, Esch has always been part of Villerupt. As soon as we heard that Esch was selected as European Capital of Culture, our union automatically wanted to be an active actor in this manifestation.”

The president stresses the unique opportunity for her town to create special bounds with merchants in Esch, to work hand in hand on this event. “Our union will be prepared to assist all the protagonists, by making vitrines available if needs be, by organizing routes in the city or by installing meet-up corners,” explains Mme Wittische. “For one year, light will shine on Esch, Villerupt and the neighboring cities. We must do all it takes to ensure the success of this event.”

PAT R IC K B E RG - V INSMOS E LLE Domaines Vinsmoselle is a winegrowers’ cooperative of 200 members, producing Luxembourgish wine and crémant. This year is the celebration of 100 years of winegrowing and 30 years of Luxembourgish crémant from POLL-FABAIRE. Domaines Vinsmoselle, represented by its general manager Patrick Berg, supports Esch2022. “As a local actor, it is essential for us to support this major Luxembourgish event. This upcoming year shall be, for us and for the South of Luxembourg, a unique opportunity to increase our visibility at a European level.” As a major Luxembourgish player, Domaines Vinsmoselle intends to assist throughout 2022 by actively highlighting the winegrowing expertise in Luxembourg. “Via our brand POLL-FABAIRE, we have partnered up with Esch2022, and are currently working with them to issue a special Crémant Cuvée . The “Esch2022 Cuvée” shall be offered during events taking place in 2022, and also commercialized,” the general manager proudly emphasized.

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TEXT

Marion Finzi

“Supporting Partner” of Esch2022

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

ADVERTORIAL

MATHIAS LENTZ - BR ASSER IE NATIONALE “Supporting Partner” of Esch2022 Brasserie Nationale is a family-owned company producing Battin, Bofferding, Funck-Bricher’s beers, as well as the mineral water Lodyss. “As a South Luxemburgish company that’s existed for 200 years, it is a real proud moment for us to be part of Esch2022, and make our region shine,” explained Mathias Lentz, its director.

During this unique year, the family-owned company intends to make the Luxemburgish brewing world known to others. “A new tasting center shall be open soon to taste our beers and other local beers from the South, in order for the visitors to discover the Luxemburgish expertise as a whole,” emphasized the director.

Brasserie Nationale will also be official sponsor of Esch2022. “As a sponsor, we shall have a strong presence during next year’s cultural events. And, as part of this collaboration, we will also invite artists to collaborate on the packaging design of our products,” concluded Mathias Lentz.

GÉR AR D C AYOT TE - PÂTISSER IE C AYOT TE Supports Esch2022 Gérard Cayotte, pâtissier, opened his bakery in the heart of Esch in 1997. Since then, he has witnessed major changes in the city. “Our town is constantly evolving and a lot has changed in the past 25 years. And with this incredible appointment as European Capital of Culture, I am confident that this is only the beginning!” says M. Cayotte. This passionate baker is thrilled for Esch and its business owners, hoping that everyone will contribute to the success of this unique year, challenging itself if required. “We need to be able to welcome the numerous visitors to our town, in the best way possible. This is an incredible opportunity to put Esch on the map, and to do so, we need to be at the top of our game,” concludes the baker.

V IV I A NE FONTA INE -PÉ T R É Member of the Esch2022 REMIX community

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Viviane Fontaine-Pétré, a dynamic woman recently retired, was one of the first to volunteer in the Esch2022 project. “I have worked for 40 years in a sector involving a lot of client relationship and I wanted to keep on building relationships with people. When I heard about Esch2022, I immediately jump at this opportunity to be part of this project. I still have the wonderful impact in mind that being European Capital of Culture years in 1995 and 2007 gave our capital city, and I truly hope for the same positive results for Esch” explains Viviane. As a volunteer, Viviane has already started her field work roaming around the markets in Esch and its neighboring communes, to meet the residents and explain concretely what impact Esch2022 will have on the region. “It is a wonderful challenge. Among the volunteers, I am happy to see youth caring. Before all else, Esch2022 is a real human adventure,” concludes Viviane.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

DESIGN

S IMPLY

B E AU T IF UL Heike Meyer’s wonderful table creations never cease to surprise and awe us here at the KACHEN team. And yet often it’ s the simple things that make her designs unique, such as the fresh cranberries in the middle of the table, arranged around biscuit cutters made of sheet metal. Although you may not be able to find all the decorative elements shown here, just let your imagination be your guide and try reusing items you already have, or that you happen to find outside in the garden or forest, and combine them in exciting new ways. Heike’s creations are always inspiring!

WINT E R SOUP WIT H JE RUSA LE M A RT IC HOK E Serves 4 15 minutes 25 minutes

› › › › › › › › › › › › ›

2 small shallots 300 g Jerusalem artichoke 1 small potato 3 tbsp butter 100 ml white wine 250 ml vegetable stock 125 ml cream Salt Pepper, freshly ground Nutmeg, freshly grated Lemon juice A little sour cream Parsley, chopped

1 Peel and chop the shallots, Jerusalem artichoke and potato.

2 Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the shallots until translucent. Add the

You can also fill the soup into champagne bowls. This works very well if you first pour the soup into a milk jug that has been rinsed/ preheated with hot water.

The soup is also delicious cold as a gazpacho.

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Jerusalem artichoke and potato, sauté for 5 minutes and deglaze with the wine. Let the liquid boil down & then add the prepared stock. Simmer gently for 20 minutes.

3 Add the cream, heat and purée with a hand blender. Season to taste with pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice.

4 Garnish the soup with a dollop of sour cream and the prepared chopped parsley and serve immediately.

TIP

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IDEAS PHOTOS

Heike Meyers Ramunas Astrauskas

DESIGN

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

DESIGN

THE WORLD FAIR FOR ORGANIC WINES AND OTHER

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

DIGITAL SESSION 17.18 JANUARY 2022 24/24 ACCESS

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24.25.26 JANUARY 2022 EXHIBITION CENTRE

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O N

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P R O F E S S I O N A L S

O N LY

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Association Interprofessionnelle

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

E X PL E OUR WOR LD!

AVAILABLE NOW REESENMAG.LU

V I N T N E R FA M I LY

DRY W I N E I S A

FA MILY T R A DI T ION SC HLINK DOM A INE V IT ICOLE

The young wine grower, Jean-Marc Schlink, is the fourth generation in the modern company “Schlink domaine viticole.”

in Bad Kreuznach, after previously studying for two years in Avize in Champagne. Since then, Jean-Marc has been fully integrated into the winery, and two years ago the business was formally signed over to him.

As René Schlink was certain that his son would one day take over the business, he invested in a new cellar in 2005, situated in the Moselle wine region between Machtum and Grevenmacher. At the same time, he set up the “Deisermill” wine bar in the picturesque Moselle wine valley, “My grandfather an inviting wine and snack bar where the preferred dry wines terrace has recently been redesigned and that stay fresh, extended. Schlink wines age well, and are full-bodied many older wines can be tasted here. and refined”

New cellar and new wine bar

In 1991, René planted Pinot Noir and over time, invested in barrique ageing. It also didn’t take long for the innovative wine grower to turn to Crémant. Success was rapid and, over time, the new sparkling wine would be a very important mainstay for the Schlinks, like for many other wine growers.

“In the beginning, my father stored the bottles in a small cellar by the church in Machtum, but demand kept growing and the place was bursting at the seams,” describes Jean-Marc Schlink, son of René and Edmée, who completed his training in wine technology in 2012

Dry, with style and ageing potential

Investments in modern facilities is capital well spent for a company. Jean-Marc Schlink learnt a special process in Champagne, which he wanted to keep: “This new bottling station for Crémant wines allows us to insert the inner caps individually into the crown caps, making

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TEXT PHOTOS

Claude François Ramunas Astrauskas

The family firm is one of the oldest in Luxembourg’s Moselle Region: it was founded in 1911 by Jean-Pierre Hoffeld and transferred to his daughter Anne and her husband Jean Schlink in 1952. They invested in more land, a new cellar and technical facilities, so that their son René and his wife Edmé could take over a well-equipped winery in 1993.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

V I N T N E R FA M I LY

them better able to withstand the pressure,” he explains.

Today the winery produces seven different sparkling wine cuvées, such as “Symphonie en Bulles,” a Crémant regularly distinguished at international competitions, most recently at Vinalies in Paris.

“Schlink domaine viticole” primarily produces quite dry wines, a style already preferred by René Schlink and continued by Jean-Marc. This style is a family thing, because “my grandfather preferred dry wines that stay fresh, are full-bodied and refined,” emphasises the young wine grower: “Our shell limestone soils give the wine a lovely minerality and straightforwardness which is particularly noticeable in the Riesling wines. However, wine mustn’t be too dry because it must remain fruity and after a few years it becomes round and smooth.”

Popular tasting packages

SCHLINK DOMAINE VITICOLE 1, Rue de l‘Eglise — L-6841 Machtum Tel. +352 / 75 84 68

caves-schlink.lu

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The Schlinks harvest their grapes in a 12.5-hectare wine-growing area between Machtum and Wormeldingen, in Ongkaf, Gëllebour, Widdem and Hohfels in Machtum, as well as Köppchen, Elterberg and Heiligenhäuschen in Wormeldingen. According to requirements,

the wines are marketed under the labels “Tradition du Domaine” and “Sélection Arômes et Couleurs”. Schlink domaine viticole is also a pioneer of the Charta wine label for private wine growers and under this flag offers excellent Pinot Gris, Riesling and Pinot Noir.

The winery, along with the whole branch, suffered from the pandemic: “We had to stay in the game and come up with something to cushion the losses,” affirms Jean-Marc. The various tasting packages with six different wines and/or Crémants were really well received and are now here to stay. The very latest is the new winter package with two Crémants, one white wine, one rosé and two red wines.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

ADVERTORIAL

T IME TO C E LE B R AT E !

30 YE ARS OF CRÉMANT DE LUXEMBOURG master is satisfied with their composition, it is filled into the bottle and a filling dosage, also called “liqueur de dosage,” is added. This sets the second alcoholic fermentation in motion, which produces carbonic acid as well as alcohol. Now patience is required, the longer the bottle rests on its lees, the finer the perlage and the more complex the taste. This process can take up to 48 months. Once the maturation process is complete, the bottles are then intensely cooled down whilst hanging overhead, so that the yeast that has collected in the neck of the bottle freezes. When the crown cork is opened, the yeast plug flies out due to the pressure in the bottle.

Before the bottle is now dressed with a label and cap, the crémant is refined with a dosage liqueur.

The popularity of the product shows that this great expenditure is palatable. While the company started in 1991 with just 227,000 bottles, 30 years later 3 million bottles of the festive product are produced and enjoyed.

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The 15th of November was a day to be celebrated because our trusty companion of countless festivities turns 30! The times when we raise a glass together are numerous and, as a rule, always happy. No other beverage is as strongly associated with memorable, festive and celebratory moments as Crémant. Whether at birthdays, weddings, graduations, sports competitions or just between friends, a shared toast is a must.

Its production is at least as adventurous as opening the bottle. Only hand-picked, healthy grapes from the local wine-growing region may be selected for the elaborate production of Crémant de Luxembourg. In the cellar, the first fermentation is carried out with great care to produce the base wines. These serve a decisive role in the composition of the cuvée. In this step, also called assemblage, the producer puts his own mark on his Crémant.

This is because different base wines, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay or Auxerrois, can be blended here. It is even permitted to add base wines from older vintages in order to round off the taste and infuse richness. Once a cellar

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

Cheers, to the Crémant de Luxembourg!

to be consumed with moderation

plan K

vins-cremants.lu

ENJOY IT, IT COMES FROM LUXEMBOURG The AOP* label on the bottles, your guarantee for quality local wines and cremants. *Appellation d’Origine Protégée

I N T H E CE L L A R OF POL L-FA B A I R E

POLL-FABAIRE

Cuvée Extra-Brut

Cuvée Brut

A very racy Crémant with a fine minerality has a very noble nose with notes of brioche and nuts.

The cuvée is powerful, creamy and long. The fruit is reminiscent of ripe grapes and orange peel. The complex finish with lots of tension and aromas of dry fruit makes the POLL-FABAIRE extra brut long and lasting.

This Crémant is round, flowing and flavourful with a pleasant balance thanks to a blend of different varieties: Auxerrois, for fruitiness, Pinot Blanc for freshness and finesse, and Riesling for body and power.

It is often enjoyed as an apéritif and pairs well with finger food.

9,90 € ttc

9,90 € ttc

POLL-FABAIRE

POLL-FABAIRE

Cuvée Rosé Brut

Cuvée Pinot Blanc Brut

A fresh Crémant with a fine, brilliant salmon colour. This Cuvée is composed of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. The nose offers aromas of red fruits, cherries and strawberries. This Crémant is aromatic, balanced and creamy.

It makes a great partner to enjoy red berries with.

This fruity and delicate blend has a remarkable creaminess, a typical Pinot Blanc flavour and a fresh mousse. It is ideal as an apéritif or a perfect accompaniment for seafood and shellfish dishes, such as scallops or mussels in cream sauce.

10,96 € ttc

11,25 € ttc

POLL-FABAIRE

POLL-FABAIRE

Cuvée Chardonnay Brut

Cuvée Millésime 2018 Brut

Due to its natural freshness and those particular aromas typical for Chardonnay, this Crémant charms in every way. Because of its discreet aroma and certain creaminess, it is mostly enjoyed as an apéritif, but can be paired with many spicy or strongly flavoured dishes.

This blend intrigues with a beautiful yellow colour and golden nuances, scents of honey and lime-blossom such as a long, beautifully fresh finish. Thanks to Pinot Blanc and Riesling, this crémant is easy to pair with traditional dishes like roast veal.

12,49 € ttc

14,61 € ttc

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POLL-FABAIRE

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

A Domaines Vinsmoselle brand - Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, drink in moderation

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Crémants POLL-FABAIRE Quality Crémants exclusively grown and produced in Luxembourg's Moselle region since 1991 pollfabaire.lu

pollfabaire

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

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SHARING MOMENTS

SHAKE IT BABY!

F R E NC H 75 The only sparkling wine cocktail that can truly be deemed delicious. Yes, Champagne does make everything better, adding both proof and flavor to the drink. A perfect evolution of the Fizz and Sour.

› › › ›

35 ml gin 10 ml fresh lemon juice 5 ml sugar syrup Chilled champagne, to top up

Glass

Flute

Method

Shake all the ingredients (except the sparkling wine) together in a shaker with ice, then strain into a chilled flute. Top of with the sparkling wine, and quickly dip the barspoon into the glass to gently mix the sparkling wine with the cocktail. Garnish with a fine lemon zest.

Garnish

Lemon zest

E S PR E S SO M A RT INO A coffee lover’s dream, this twist on the Espresso Martini substitutes the vodka for Seedlip Spice 94.

A spicy, citrus and slightly bitter flavour profile make this drink a fabulous cold non-alcoholic cocktail choice.

› 50 ml Seedlip Spice 94 › 50 ml coffee › 15 ml sugar syrup Glass

Coupe Method

Shake all ingredients, Seedlip Spice 94, coffee and sugar syrup, together in a cocktail shaker with cubed ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with 3 coffee beans.

Garnish

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3 coffee beans

* If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can use a plastic water bottle or any kind of tough clip-lock plastic container!

For more cocktails and mocktails, visit wengler.lu

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A R E Y O U C R E AT I V E ENOUGH? KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

S PÄT B URGUNDE R :

DARE TO DISCOVER THE GER MAN PINOT NOIR

PHILOSOPHY OF WENGLER CHÂTEAUX ET DOMAINES

There are various incetives to try and taste a German pinot noir. The main reason is to overcome your habits open to new horizons.

On top of that, the geographical proximity makes them a local product to be reckoned with. While they rival Burgundy wines in quality, their price is still quite accessible.

The pinot noir is one of the greatest grape varieties in the world, present in specific and generally small regions.

Germany is a popular place for this grape variety, with 11% of its vineyards dedicated to it, it’s the 3rd biggest producer of pinot noir worldwide.

Recent Spätburgunder cuvée are marvelous, reaching exceptional aromas. The work that has been initiated 30 years ago finally bears fruit. Grafts and massale selection from Burgundy bring delicacy and elegance to those wines.

At Wengler Châteaux et Domaines, each product is treated with great care and passion, and every bottle is carefully selected to offer the utmost quality.

The range of bottles come from the most prestigious estates, the most renowned vineyards and houses that cultivate know-how and excellence. Both connoisseurs and amateur wine lovers can delight in the fact that behind each product lies a commitment to excellence.

120 years of expertise, exclusive partnership with over 360 estates.

Moreover, presence of schist, red sandstone, limestone or slate in German soils reinforce the distinctive characteristics of the Spätburgunder. But the numerous sloping lands (up to 40%), frequently located on narrow plots, require acrobatic and tedious work by hand. A great deal of care is brought to the vineyards, without any mechanics used.

German winegrowers let time do its work, by respecting the environment and climate changes.

They have dedicated entire terroirs, ideally south-facing, to pinot noir.

Now known internationally, recent Spätburgunder millésimes are excellent and highly sought-after. The trade press has thus rated Rudolf Fürst’s 2018 vintage, the GG Hunsrück, 99/100. A first for a German red wine!

Last but not least, those wines age very well and can be kept for a long time in the cellar.

ADVERTORIAL

Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt (Franken Region) For over 400 years, this family of winegrowers runs one of the pioneer estates of Spätburgunder in Germany.

The owners, Paul & Sebastian Fürst, are known for their constant search for elegance and finery. Their wines often present pale colors contrasting with their powerful aromatic force. The outcome in the bottle reveals a great art.

Weingut Bernhard Huber in Malterdingen (Baden Region) 700 years ago, the presence of Cistercians monks in that region explains the deep rootedness of Spätburgunder in Malterdingen. Bernhard Huber planted high density vineyards to make them reach as deeply as possible into the limestone and reveal the best this soil can offer. This small production is of a rare quality. The estate is on top of its game and of world-class level

weingut-rudolf-fuerst.de

weingut-huber.com

Weingut Meyer-Näkel in Dernau (Ahr Region) The Ahr Valley is a top place for winegrowing in Germany, especially for red wines. Already the Romans cultivated vineyards on schist-filled, steep hills. This smallest region in Germany is planted to 80% with Spätburgunder. The sisters, Dörte and Meike Näkel, representing the 5th generation, work to ensure the best culture possible for this unique variety of wine, prioritising quality over mass production, as their father always did. Smoked and spiced notes found in their wines bring structure and length.

Weingut Daniel Twardowski in Neumagen (Moselle Region) The owner, Daniel Twardowski, took the crazy challenge to cultivate Spätburgunder vineyards on the steep, slate hills of the Moselle Region, while taking advantage of climate change and sunny hills. Even if called crazy, the winegrower has persevered. This tenacity has paid off today.

Each year, those wines gain in purity and precision.

This micro-production, with around 400 bottles/year, is already a hit for world-class critics. pinot-noix.com

Discover the complete selection at wengler.lu

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meyer-naekel.de/en

F E AT U R E

R A R E C H A MPAG NE A UNIQUE C H A MPAG NE T H AT BOWS TO T IME Rare Champagne defies time and nature.

In its 40 years of existence, this famous Champagne house has only released 11 vintages in limited production – fighting against the “trivialisation of vintages.”

Since the first vintage in 1976 within the Piper-Heidsieck house and its take-off as an independent house in 2018, Rare Champagne has kept the same ambition: to bring out of its cellars a champagne of exceptional and timeless quality.

The rarity of Rare Champagne vintages is also reflected in the delicate packaging, composed of vine leaves in gold filigree, designed by the goldsmith manufacturer Arthus-Bertrand. A tiara representing the allegory of the triumphant vine.

Régis Camus, elected “best Champagne cellar master of the year” 8 times, is the cellar master of this beautiful Champagne house. An encounter with a cellar master at the top of his game.

How do the natural constraints make it a creation worthy of selection?

RÉGIS CAMUS I listen to my instinct, but nature is RÉGIS CAMUS Years follow each other, but they are really the first element to consider when making a vintage. not the same. If both criteria are met, and confirmed by Two further criteria are also essential in numerous tastings, a new vintage will our decision: the wines of the year must be born. Each Rare Champagne vintage “The signature of Rare be wines for ageing and correspond to echoes nature magnified by an excepChampagne is precise the “image” of the vintage, i.e., “infinite” tional, sometimes atypical year. and complex, but it with unlimited potential for growth for In 1976, the year of the drought, in must remain timeless. It the Rare Millésime 2008 or “solar” for the an exceptional move, the harvest took is a difficult exercise to Rare Millésime 2006. Secondly, the style place at the end of August in Chamachieve, which explains of Rare Champagne must be achievable: pagne. It was a totally atypical and why each year cannot we are looking for a strong personality, relatively delicate year for Champagne reveal a vintage.” freshness, purity and minerality. winegrowers.

The signature of Rare Champagne 1985 was also a special vintage, with is precise and complex, but it must winter frosts in the Montagne de Reims remain timeless. It is a difficult exercise to achieve, with record temperatures of -35°C. which explains why each year cannot reveal a vintage. It 2008, the last vintage born by the house, is an excepis very special, very rare. tional year in Champagne.

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TEXT

Marion Finzi

How do you decide which years will be a vintage?

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

What is the key moment in the making of a vintage?

balance will be reached. During these 10 years, the wines are tasted regularly to observe their evolution.

All the vintages of Rare Champagne are long-keeping vintages.

Rare Champagne vintages take their time.

What does resting in the cellar for 10 or even 20 years do to the vintage?

What has been your greatest challenge since you joined Rare Champagne?

RÉGIS CAMUS The vegetative cycle of the vine until the harvest is already a first key element. Then, the long period of tastings of the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vintages will confirm whether or not a Rare Champagne At Rare Champagne, you listen to nature. vintage has been made. These tastings are carried out During your career, what has it taught you? with the oenological committee until the RÉGIS CAMUS I have always listened blending, which takes place in May and to but, above all, observed nature, and I June following the harvest. have done so since I was very young. I “The Rare grew up with nature as a child.

Champagne vintages The Rare Champagne vintages are are images of what All this work is a team effort, images of what nature has given us. nature has given us.” how many people are you With the current climate change, growsurrounded by on a daily basis to ing vines, especially in Champagne, is a make your champagnes?

RÉGIS CAMUS There are 7 of us, we are like a family, delicate exercise. Some years are easy, others more diffieach with their own palate, their own vision, their own cult. Between temperatures of -35°C in 1985 and +35°C in interpretation, but we are all united in defining the signa- 2006, the vine has resisted – it still triumphs and the two vintages of the house are the witnesses of this. ture. This is what makes it so rich.

RÉGIS CAMUS In the world of prestige cuvées, Rare Champagne is the youngest house and, at the same time, a very old cuvée. I am in charge of making it shine throughout the world. It’s a constant challenge!

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RÉGIS CAMUS An average of 10 years in the cellar is necessary for the vintage to reach maturity before its release. It is at the end of this period that the best

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TEXT

Susanne Jaspers

F E AT U R E

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

C A LVA DOS A N A PPLE S PIR IT F OR PE A S A N T S A N D NOB L E S

The success story of a famous fruit brandy began nearly 500 years ago with the “Eau de Vie de Sydre.”

Generally, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “apple schnapps?” Probably some sweet liqueur that is particularly enjoyed by younger partygoers and can cause severe headaches. In a small, but beautiful, part of the world, it has been proven that an exquisite alcoholic concoction can be made from apples – with a much lower risk of hangover.

NOBLES WHO LOVE APPLES

FARMERS WITH LICENCES TO DISTIL

The first chronicler of apple brandy production may have had blue blood, but it was the peasants who helped its rise in popularity a few centuries later. After the French Revolution, they were given the right to distil up to ten litres of alcohol per year from their own fruit. They didn’t need telling twice and this explains why the apple tree popula-

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Despite its Spanish-sounding name, the home of this spirit is in France. In Normandy, to be precise. Here, in the mid-16th century, cider was first distilled into “Eau de Vie de Sydre.” We know this because a certain Gilles de Gouberville was the first to record it on March 28th, 1553.

The country squire was an ardent fan of apples, cider and apple trees, a dozen varieties of which he cherished and cared for in his garden. His hobby seems to have been infectious, as more and more Norman growers began to tend to apple trees. It’s quite possible they had an ulterior motive – with it came the opportunity to process the innocent fruit into schnapps. And so, in 1606 the first cider distillers’ guild was founded.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

F E AT U R E

tion exploded. In the same period, in 1790, the region was given a new name that’s still valid today: Calvados.

Since then, Normans have jealously guarded their designation of origin, just like their colleagues in Champagne or Cognac. But not just any apple can be made into Calvados: only apples from around a dozen clearly-defined growing regions are approved, all in the département of the same name, of course.

SWEET & SOUR APPLE JUICE

In the next steps of the production process, things get a little more capricious: to produce quality Calvados, you

can’t just randomly use any of the 48 officially authorised apple varieties. The optimal mixing ratio of three flavours must also be considered. The rule of thumb is 20% sour, 40% sweet and 40% bitter apples. The juice obtained from this mixture is then left to ferment into cider for a few weeks. Although this cider, with around 5% alcohol content, can be consumed at once, it takes a little more patience until the apple brandy can be enjoyed. The cider must stay in the barrel for at least one to two more years before the actual distilling process begins, which results in a generous 40 to 45% alcohol.

THE NORMAN HOLE

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Food lovers in particular appreciate the palatable schnapps – albeit under a different name. In gastronomic multi-course menus, Calvados is served as “Trou normand,” literally meaning “Norman hole.” But what has a hole got to do with it? Well, the idea is that, after eating the starter, room should be made in the stomach for the usually more opulent main course. Thanks to the digestive liqueur, a “hole” is made in the stomach, ready to be filled again with the next course.

Originally however, the “trou normand” is reputed to have served a different purpose entirely. In some parts of Normandy, the spirit was gulped down after a seafood starter, to kill bacteria in the event of fish poisoning.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

© ANNE LOMMEL

PA SSIONAT E

R E ADING WITH A DI F F E R E NC E

Winter is the perfect time for reading.

Anyone wanting to read up on sustainability, for example, can do so in Rue Adolphe Fischer in Luxembourg City.

The “CITIM” library offers free reading material.

The very specific CITIM documentation centre is tucked between two old building facades. The library specialises in two main topics: countries of the South and sustainability. Famine, global markets, climate change, agriculture, the textile industry, economics, world cuisine, migration, war and peace all come together here. From the creaky wooden floor to the high ceiling, the books are well sorted and cover a number of socially relevant topics. There are also videos and reading materials that can be borrowed free of charge. All you have to do is register. The books are also listed in the search engine of the Luxembourg libraries, www.a-z.lu, and can be borrowed for four weeks, or longer if needed.

TEXT PHOTOS

Stéphanie Krischel Anne Lommel

SPICES, FAIR PLAY AND THE R AIN FOREST CITIM is the Third World Information Centre and has been provided by ASTM since 1982.

ASTM, “Third World Solidarity Action” is a Luxembourg-based development NGO, which advocates political, economic, social and cultural emancipation of people from countries of the South, known as “developing countries.”

If you continue your voyage of discovery into the book jungle or on the library’s homepage, you’ll come across the pedagogical offer of CITIM, ASTM and other Luxembourg NGOs. Workshops on a variety of themes are organised for children and young people, such as child law, climate change and responsible nutrition. Educational suitcases can be borrowed by schools or children’s groups, on subjects like spices, fair play or the rainforest.

In addition to being a library, CITIM is also a platform for exchange, discussion forums and events based on special focus topics.

actionsolidaritetiersmonde.org

Address CITIM Centre d‘Information Tiers Monde 136–138, rue Adolphe Fischer L–1521 Luxembourg

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Current opening times can be found here citim.lu

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

We give you the energy You write the story

Luxembourg energy provider

enovos.lu

CO N S U M E D I F F E R E N T LY

DOING T HING S DIF F E R E N T LY IN C HOCOL AT E OR : C E RT IF IE D LOV E H A NDLE S

On fair beans, chocolate gravestones, an edible zoo, and many more ideas of the Styrian chocolate company “Zotter.”

FROM THE BEAN TO THE ORGANIC

The EU organic seal stands for the principal organic idea. Since 2006, the entire range at Zotter’s has been converted to organic, which is, with around 340 ingredients – from goji berries to cheese to whisky – quite a feat.

A further idea is the “Bean to Bar” principle. This implies that all the production stages, from the cocoa bean to the chocolate bar, are developed under one roof. Roasting, grinding, milling and conching takes place in Steiermark, the site of production, since 2007. That is the opposite to outsourcing and prevents excessive transport routes. It also gives the product something that can be controlled, something familiar. By the way, the husks of the cocoa

beans are reused as feed in farming or as mulch for the garden – recycling.

DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY TAKES YOU FURTHER

Already since 2004, the production is based completely on fair trade. The beans come from farmers in compactly structured, extensive agriculture from different cocoa countries. The focus lies on the direct and personal contact and on good quality. In the chocolate season of 2018/2019, the factory decided to replace the Fairtrade certification with their own. This fair-trade certificate goes further with its criteria; one wants to distinguish oneself from the mass balancing of the Fairtrade system.

The factory is since then member of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO), which checks the entire chocolate factory on fair guidelines.

Not immediately obvious to the chocolate consumer are the certification ISO 14001 and EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme). With these, the company commits to contribute to environmental protection: among other things with renewable solar energy, warmth derived from biomass, or packaging from sustainable resources. The photovoltaic unit and several geothermal pumps enable parts of the factory to be energy self-sufficient.

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No 100 g, no traditional shapes, no continuous paper packaging. The Zotter chocolate bars are different: 70 g light, hand poured, built like a praline and packaged in a creative paper wrap – the paper of which is FSC and “blauer Engel” certified. If the chocolate is delivered by post, its packaging is made of paper or corn starch. Inside the huge praline you will find classics such as berries, coffee, or nuts, and not so classics, such as cheese, algae or bier – all organic. The chocolatey assortment also contains a whole number of implemented ideas on the topic of sustainability and doing things differently.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

The switch to electric vehicles and the installation of an electric loading station are two further environmental efforts.

CHOCOLATE-THEATRE-SHOP

That is what Zotter calls their production site and shop in Steiermark. Along the visitor gallery you have a clear view into the chocolate factory, you can taste every production step and walk (and taste) the path from brown bean to finished bar, praline, etc., past the “Running Chocolate” or “Chocolate filling station.”

Directly adjacent is an additional area: a 27-hectar animal park, including a playground, gardens, pastures, farming, and plenty of whimsical attractions. Such the graveyard of ideas: bar-like gravestones commemorate former chocolate bar varieties. Either because they were bad- or bestseller, because they didn’t work taste-wise, or they were a top seller for so long that it was time for them to step down.

From “Bean to Bar” in the factory to “Farm to Table” in the restaurant. Whether cocoa bean or Schnitzel, Zotter’s remains true to its principles. It is the thought to create an awareness for our food and to show appreciation in the form of sustainable production.

PRIZE DRAW According to which quality labels is the chocolate at Zotter’s produced?

We’re giving away 10 gift boxes “Chocolate makes you happy” from Zotter! Send an e-mail with your name, address and the subject line Chocolate to gewinnen@tasty.lu The closing date for entries is 01.02.2022 The legal process is excluded.

EDIBLE ZOO

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For those who fancy something hearty after all that chocolate, they can have a meal in the “Öko-Essbar,” with meats sourced from their own petting zoo. The dishes served at the restaurant rely on the enclosed 80 ha of organic farmland. Some of these domestic farm animals, local fruit and veg varieties are visible and within the visitor’s graspable reach; additional larger pastures and gardens are located off site. The restaurant cooks not only with organic, fair trade and regional ingredients but also with solar energy from above – a 100 percent autonomous restaurant. Speaking of food, the approximately 200 members of staff are served fresh, organic and free meals daily.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

GREEN KITCHEN

V E G E TA B LE

R EC YC LING There is still plenty of life in the few centimetres at the bottom of a leek. You can see it when you put this piece in a glass with some water and wait. It’s known as “regrowing” and it’s a simple way of recycling vegetables.

NEW FROM OLD

In gardening, the regrowing principle is nothing new. It used to be called “vegetative reproduction.” Without going into botanical details, with vegetative reproduction, the new plant is created by the division of cells of the mother plant, without all the business of the bees and flowers – no flowering, no fertilisation and no seed formation. There are different natural variants of vegetative reproduction and regrowing is one of them. One thing is clear: the regrown vegetables do not satisfy hunger

but are perfectly suitable for herbs or for enhancing salads, dips or soups.

TO GROW OR NOT TO GROW

You can tell pretty quickly whether or not the vegetables’ spirits can be awakened or not. After one or two days, the leaf mass grows out of the top and later, within two weeks, fine roots start to form. If nothing happens, then usually the vegetable piece has been cut too short, was too old or already mouldy or rotten. It’s important to use clean water, otherwise rot and fungi may grow instead of leaf mass.

As soon as the greenery regrows, it can be used. The more greenery produced, the more nutrients are consumed by the old vegetables and at some point, water will no longer suffice as a substrate. Then it’s time to harvest and put the rest into the compost bin. It can also be planted into the ground: depending on the season and possibilities, in a pot indoors, on a balcony or out in the garden.

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TEXT PHOTOS

Stéphanie Krischel Anne Lommel

With regrowing, you use the natural regenerative power of the shoot, root or leaf vegetable.

Every vegetable behaves differently: greens sprout from carrot tops, a rejuvenated mini leek grows from the middle of the leek, and a kind of narrow lettuce grows from a Romaine lettuce stump. Fruit vegetable crops like tomatoes, cucumbers or peppers refuse to sprout, along with flowering vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower or Romanesco broccoli. They work differently as far as reproduction is concerned and cannot be revived in a glass.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

GREEN KITCHEN

THIS IS HOW TO RECYCLE VEGETABLES

G ROW IT YOUR S E LF WHAT WORKS?

Leeks, spring onions, carrots, fennel, romaine lettuce, celery, Chinese cabbage, parsnips, radishes, onions

WHAT DOESN’T?

Tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes, aubergines, cabbage, squash

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• T he cut-off vegetable piece should be covered up to half-way with water.

• T he vegetable inside the glass needs to be kept in a bright place indoors, room temperature around 20°C without any direct sunlight.

• C hange the water every day to prevent rot.

• It’s really exciting for children to watch the seemingly dead vegetable come back to life.

• I f small roots form or if the regrown greenery becomes too vigorous, it’s time to plant the regrown vegetable in the earth, preferably in compost.

• F or professionals and anyone with a lot of patience, the top section of a pineapple is worth a try. With luck, in addition to leaf regrowth, you’ll get a regrowth of fruit (after about 3 years).

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

- Advertisement -

The easy way to fresh greens.

All year round.

Fresh herbs are a healthy source of vitamins and mineral nutrients, strengthening your immune system and fighting free radicals. But have you met microgreens – a favourite nutritional supplement for foodies and health afficionados?

Harvested right after sprouting, they’re today’s superfood and they look as good as they taste. A sprinkling of popular seedlings such as red radish, pak choi, rocket or brocolli will pimp even basic recipes at home.

1

Indoor gardening just got smart

Pick your plants

Growing a constant supply of fresh herbs and microgreens can be tedious as most plants need a warm and sunny spot, plus abundant water. But there’s a new trend in town for those who are tired of limp, withered leaves – smart indoor gardening.

Bosch’s new SmartGrow Life is the next generation in indoor gardening and puts freshness right at your fingertips. You don’t need a garden, a balcony or green fingers.

The SmartGrow Life takes care of your herbs and microgreens all year round, even without sunlight.

Fresh, healthy, homegrown – is it growing on you yet?

• A continuously growing range of over 50 different herbs, salads, microgreens, fruits, and even edible flowers.

• 100 % natural – more vitamins, without pesticides.

Microgreens with micro-effort The Bosch SmartGrow Life provides perfect growing conditions. A smart, automated system controls everything your plants need, from water to light and nutrition. Simply insert a pod of seeds into the microgreen tray, add water, then plug it in and the magic starts.

2

3 Stylish Design • Silent pump works without electricity • Smart ebb and flow irrigation system ensures the right amount of water • Adaptive light spectrum adjusts to the life stage of your plants.

Dimmable, high performance LEDs avoid harmful UV rays.

• Vacation and sleep modes adapt to your own pace of life • Serving option – remove the bowl easily for tabletop presence

Open up the wow Now you can enjoy your own supply of fresh greens, full of taste and vitamins – home-grown, harvested by you and ready to add a dash of wow to any dish. Scan the QR code or visit www.bosch-home.lu/de/produkte/smart-indoor-gardening to find out more about the next generation of smart indoor gardening.

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Discover the SmartGrow products exclusively at Letzshop:

Get hands-on with flavour Our parents might have taught us to not play with our food, but maybe, just this once, they were wrong.

With a mezze spread, your next dinner party can be a fun, interactive and flavour-filled adventure.

Mezze (or meze) is a bunch of small dishes eaten as appetizers or a light meal popular across the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

If this all sounds too exotic, not to worry, it’s super simple and it allows you to cater to everyone’s tastes and preferences. You just need a couple of common supermarket ingredients and, for an extra bit of wow, a SmartGrow indoor garden!

The main aim when making your finger food feast is to create a combination of flavours and textures: creamy, crunchy, fresh, pickled, dried, savoury, and even a bit of sweet creates endless possibilities.

As Mezze is incredibly popular across the Mediterranean and Middle East, there are also tonnes of dishes you can choose to use. From classics like halloumi cheese, olives, and salads, to smoky baba ghanoush, savoury falafels and, of course, the dip that brings it all together, delicious hummus.

And that is what we will be focused on today, how to create your very own delicious hummus, with a herby twist!

So, let’s get started.

For our herby hummous, you will need the following: • 2 cans of drained chickpeas • 1 plump garlic clove • Fine sea salt • 1/2 cup of tahini • 1/4 cup lemon juice, plus more if needed • A handful fresh herbs – we used fresh-picked basil, sage and parsley from our SmartGrow indoor garden • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving • Ice cold water, as needed Add 2 cups of drained chickpeas into your VitaPower Series 4 food processor.

(Pro tip: Keep a couple of chickpeas to the side to garnish your homemade hummous before serving) Add in the tahini, lemon juice, herbs, olive oil, 1.5 teaspoons salt, and garlic.

Purée the mixture for at least 3 minutes, dribbling in cold water 2 tablespoons at a time until velvety smooth.

Scoop some hummous onto a shallow bowl or plate and spread it out with the back of a spoon.

Drizzle with olive oil, top with some chickpeas and add the finishing touch, by sprinkling a few fresh-picked herbs from your SmartGrow on top.

Then, all that’s left to do is enjoy, because ultimately time spent with friends, family, and fantastic food, is always time well spent.

PA SSIONAT E

C E LE B R AT E

“ S LOW F OOD H E ROE S ”

One of them is Florent Piard who lives in Pantin on the outskirts of Paris. He has two restaurants in the French capital’s 10tharrondissement. “We work with a network of 250 winemakers and artisan producers.

When lockdown hit in March 2020 and the restaurants closed, we checked in on our network every week to see how everyone was doing. We were in constant contact with a hundred of the worst-affected producers. The main thing we did to support them was selling hampers filled with their products twice a week. It was a huge success and meant they could maintain their revenue. We also worked with four homeless and migrant charities and made around 400-500 meals every week,” adds Florent. slowfood.com/slow-food-heroes Project funded by the European Cultural Foundation, with the involvement of the CRC Foundation.

To w a r d s t h e b i o d i v e r s i t y o f g o o d , p r o p e r a n d f a i r f o o d .

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Slow Food has launched a fantastic project to compile and showcase all the great things individuals and communities in the food world did during the pandemic.

The pandemic heightened everyone’s community spirit in every aspect of life: solidarity should be celebrated to inspire people to pay it forward. Food is a basic need that has always brought people together and can create bonds between all of us. So, all the good deeds that were done in the food and hospitality sector during these extraordinary times deserve recognition.

Slow Food spent months collecting stories to post every week on its social media, with enough content to last until June 2022.

The pandemic was more than just a time of resistance; it was an opportunity to make some changes. Slow Food Heroes wants to make us see the food system in a different light and, in turn, spark a cultural revolution and help local communities transform the international food system by putting humanity and the planet centre stage.

“Chefs, producers, artisans, young people and migrants launched a whole host of projects during the pandemic in terms of food production, supply and consumption. Slow Food Heroes wants to encourage and celebrate projects that empower the food industry with ideas that can inspire the entire world,” says Marta Messa, director of Slow Food Europe.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

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INFO INTOX

OH CHRISTMAS TREE IN NUMBERS

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Every year, we put up a tree in the living room.

But what do we actually know about its seasonal existence? Did you know, for example, that the Shropshire sheep is the only sheep breed out of around 800 breeds that can be used as an ecological lawnmower on Christmas tree plantations? Why? Because they are “treefriendly.” The stem and needles elicit a lot of insightful informations, such as whether pesticides and fertilisers have been used (chemical or organic), the form of cultivation (single or mixed culture) and even the type of weed control used around the trees. When you see a Christmas tree in the public squares in the capital, it’s hard to imagine that it becomes wood chips after the festive season. Here are some more interesting facts and figures about the Christmas tree’s appearance in what is probably the most festive time of year.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

INFO INTOX

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CONE HARVESTERS CLIMB UP INTO TREES THAT ARE

CHRISTMAS TREES IN THE CIT Y ’S PUBLIC SPACES ARE PRIVATELY OWNED. THE Y ARE BETWEEN 8 AND 16 METRES IN HEIGHT.

THE USE OF CHEMICAL/SYNTHETIC PL ANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS AND SOLUBLE MINER AL FERTILISERS IN ORGANIC CHRISTMAS TREES AMOUNTS TO

0%

2008 “FAIR TREES” IS THE FIRST GLOBAL ORGANISATION TO ADVOCATE FAIR WORKING CONDITIONS FOR CONE HARVESTERS.

90% OF THE SEEDS FROM WHICH EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS TREES GROW COME FROM GEORGIA , FROM THE EX TREMELY POOR REGION OF AMBROL AURI.

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17

40-60

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

KNOWLEDGE BITES

BEES

IN WIN T E R A yellow and black winter programme

When it starts to get cold outside and flowers become scarce, the honeybee colony switches to winter mode: cuddling instead of flying.

As winter arrives, the tasks of the honeybee population change. It’s not the time for flying in food from distant places, caring for offspring or changing their interior design. Instead, what they are concerned with is keeping the colony warm and full over winter. They do this through cuddling, austerity and team spirit.

Worker bees and the queen cling tightly together in a ball, this is called a winter cluster. The workers generate heat through a sort of shivering, even overcoming external negative temperatures. The middle of the cluster is the warmest place, and that’s naturally where the queen sits.

Team spirit comes into play when the heat-generating

No drones in winter

The winter colony is only made up of females. The drones are thrown out of the colony in late summer. Their job is to mate with the queen, which they dutifully did in warm, flying weather. As the drones aren’t involved in collecting food, cleaning or laying eggs, they are a waste of energy in winter for the honeybee family. The bee colony is smaller than in summer, which is another austerity measure. Flying seldomly takes place, only in warmer temperatures and purely for hygienic and grooming purposes.

KNOWLEDGE BITES

There are winter and summer bees. Depending on when a honeybee hatches in the year, they will have different tasks and a shorter or longer life span. Summer bees live for around six weeks, winter bees significantly longer, for seven to nine months. An explanation for this is that summer jobs, such as long food flights, are clearly more energy consuming than group cuddling in winter to produce heat.

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TEXT

Stéphanie Krischel

Collective cuddling

bees at the cluster’s somewhat cooler edge are replaced and fed by warmer bees from the centre. So, while some recover and warm up, others shiver to make heat. Without warmth, the bees and the queen would starve to death, as the cold toughens the stored honey, meaning that the bees can no longer grasp it with their proboscis and tongue.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

LIVING BETTER

H E A LT H Y WIN T E R DR INK S Wave goodbye to your regular latte and cappuccino for your mid-afternoon caffeine fix.

Say hello to indulgent winter warmers that do good and taste good too. Your body will thank you for it.

DAT E & C A R DA MOM L AT T E The dietitian Virginie Di Tore calls it a cupful of goodness.

Dates may be high in calories but they’re also high in nutrients: magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, copper and potassium to help combat strokes. Cardamom is fantastic for digestion and cinnamon’s antibacterial properties give your immune system a boost. Get your day off to a good start with a mug of this when you wake up!

TEXT

Sarah Braun

Ingredients

› › › ›

250 ml oat milk 3 medjool dates 1 pinch of cinnamon 1 pinch of cardamom

1 Heat oat milk (don’t bring it to

the boil).

2 Blend dates, cinnamon and cardamom to a paste then add to oat milk. Serve immediately.

OR A NG E B LOS SOM & CINNAMON L AT TE Aurélie Canzoneri is a naturopath who’s wild about this calming and comforting drink for those long winter nights. Almond milk (high in magnesium), orange blossom water (sedative and calming) and cinnamon (soothing flavour) are your ticket to a good night’s sleep.

Ingredients

› 250 ml unsweetened

almond milk › 1 tsp cinnamon › 1 tbsp orange blossom

The diet expert Lucile Champy has been championing this mood-booster in a mug as an indulgent fireside treat. Raw cacao is packed with polyphenols whilst maca works wonders on your mood. Carob brings a hint of caramel that sweetens the flavour of ashwagandha (an adaptogen that takes care of your adrenal glands if you suffer from high stress or chronic anxiety). The collagen in it looks after your gut health and keeps your skin, hair and nails looking tip-top too!

Ingredients

› › › › › ›

250 ml oat milk 1 tsp raw cacao 1 tsp maca powder 1 tsp carob powder 1 tsp ashwagandha powder 1 tsp hydrolysed collagen (optional)

1 Warm oat milk on a low heat.

2 Froth with a milk frother and

Remove from heat and add raw cacao, maca powder, carob powder, ashwagandha powder and hydrolysed collagen (optional).

2 Froth with a milk frother and enjoy!

On Instagram @aurelie.canzoneri and on canzoneri-naturopathe.com

On Instagram @lucile_champy and on lucilechampy.fr to download her new e-book, “Le Guide Healthy”

1 Heat almond milk then add

cinnamon and orange blossom. serve immediately!

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On Instagram @vdt_dieteticienne

R AW C AC AO, C A ROB & M AC A L AT T E

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

DO IT YOURSELF

F IG HT WINT E R’S A ILME NTS WIT H N AT UR A L ING R E DIE NTS

As much as we love winter, we could all do without the little grievances that appear as soon as the temperature drops. Chills, sore red noses, low energy and general fatigue are just some of the ailments you can soothe at home with easy and natural* remedies.

DI Y COUG H SY RUP Thyme is your BFF in winter as it helps fight respiratory infections and serves as an antiseptic. Infuse in hot water to make herbal tea (up to 3 cups a day).

Ever thought of making your own cough medicine?

LIP & NOS E R E PA IR BA LM

› 120 g fresh thyme or lemon thyme

The cold weather and constant tissue wiping tend to leave you with a chapped nose and lips.

Give your lips and nose a little TLC with this natural silky balm with soothing and anti-inflammatory properties!

› Water › Good quality honey

Ingredients

you’re using fresh). Cover with water, put the lid on and bring to the boil. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Leave to infuse until the following day. Keep the lid on to lock in the essential oils.

2 On the same day, strain and weigh out the liquid. Add half its weight in honey (i.e., 500 g of honey for 1 litre of infusion).

3 Bring to the boil then turn down low. Leave on a low heat until syrupy.

4 Store in a cool place away from sunlight. It will keep for 6 months if stored in a sealed container. Use within 2 – 3 weeks of opening.

› › › › ›

3 g beeswax (or orange for a vegan version) 10 g shea butter 30 g calendula oil 4 g zinc oxide 5 drops of pure lavender essential oil

1 Heat beeswax in a sterilised bowl over a bain marie.

Once melted, remove from heat and add shea butter.

2 Add calendula oil, zinc oxide and pure lavender

essential oil.

3 Wait for the mixture to set then transfer to a

sterilised jar.

4 Seal the jar once the mixture has cooled completely.

Use within one month of opening.

* These recipes should not replace medicine. If you are unwell or have a weakened immune system and/or your symptoms persist for more than three days, consult a GP.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

Sarah Braun

1 The day before, put your thyme in a pan (wash it if

TEXT

(60 g dried thyme)

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Ingredients

BEAUTY

SC E NTSAT ION A L We all know things have changed in the beauty world. The superficial is out; taking care of body and mind is in. And perfume hasn’t been left behind.

What with new niche brands that have made perfumery an art in itself and luxury brands that choose their ingredients based on how good they are for us, perfume has turned into an absolute must-have to brighten up the doom and gloom.

Here are our top picks from the best on the market.

PIONEERING: EAU DYNAMISANTE, CL ARINS

Our mothers and grandmothers all raved about Clarins’ Eau Dynamisante, the pioneer of aromatherapy fragrances. Its bouquet of fruity, floral and delicately woody notes make for a breath of fresh air whatever the season.

Highlight: as part of their drive for continuous improvement, Eau Dynamisante comes in eco-design bottles and packaging. So, you’re looking after the planet too. clarins.de

LUXURY: VANILL A DIOR AMA, L A COLLEC TION PRIVÉE, CHRISTIAN DIOR

There’s nothing quite like vanilla for whisking us away to our childhoods or travels. It’s the star of the show in this opulent, warm and comforting blanket of fragrance to wrap us up through winter.

Highlight: its sunny hue fires up the solar plexus chakra. Shine bright. dior.com

ME-TIME: MÉDITATION 7.0, AJNALOGIE

Méditation 7.0 blends sacred wood (incense, palo santo, myrrh, sage and benzoin) to treat you to some me-time, soothe your mind and connect with your meditative state.

The scents awaken the senses, so you feel more in touch with your everyday life.

Highlight: the bottle is designed to encourage you to take time out for yourself with a pipette. Just go with the flow. ajnalogie.com

HEALTHY: THÉ MATCHA, LE L ABO

TEXTS

Sarah Braun

Le Labo has brought fragrance and treatment together with its new creation in tribute to the ultimate health drink: matcha tea. The soothing scent bursts with creamy fig as sweet vetiver and cedarwood linger in the background, peppered with sensual bitter orange extract. A comforter in a bottle. lelabofragrances.com

CRYSTAL HEALING: SPREAD LOVE, “LES EAUX DOUCES”, THE NEW COOL

Spread Love is a sensual fragrance to wear on your body or spritz in your home and part of a trio based on crystals. This Eau Douce is made from pink peppercorns, bergamot and white musk infused with rose quartz crystals to inspire peace and calm. If self-love were a scent...

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thenewcool.fr

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

Meng Hoer, Mäi Stil, Mäi Coiffer.

Babylights, Coloration Végétale, Lissage au Tanin

Book Online: www.ferber.lu 13 salons à votre service: Bascharage Centre, Bascharage Cactus, Bertrange C.C. Belle-Etoile, Foetz Cora, Dudelange, Bettembourg Cactus, Bonnevoie, Limpertsberg, Beggen C.C. Espace, Mersch Cactus, Redange Cactus, Walfer Shopping, Ferber's Barbershop C.C. Belle-Etoile

WELLBEING

S E A SON A L A F F E C T I V E DI SOR DE R A N D W I N T E R B LUE S : T H E R E ’S L IG H T AT T H E E N D OF T H E T UN N E L !

2021 has been yet another year that’s given our mental health a knock. Not only has the nation slowly been unlocking after the pandemic but we’ve had a bit of a disappointing summer too (the sun only shone for 19 days in Luxembourg in July and August) and now winter and its long nights are fast approaching. No wonder you’re feeling down. The cold season may be the perfect time to hibernate but brooding over dark thoughts and sleeping all the time to avoid the world should be a warning sign that it may be more than just the winter blues: you may have winter depression.

SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is affected by our circadian rhythm as our internal body clock and light-dark cycle are out of sync. Despite being very common, not many people have heard of SAD but there are ways to treat and prevent it. So, here’s a little guide to help you get through it.

They may have much in common, but these are two separate conditions. The winter blues is a mild issue that usually clears up on its own in a fairly short amount of time. However, SAD applies to patients who present with the same symptoms two winters in a row that are more severe than the winter blues. The symptoms of SAD are the same as regular depression. So, it’s best to look after yourself and consult your GP or psychiatrist to be diagnosed properly.

SAD tends to be more common in women (75%), people with a history of depression, and people who live in cities.

Various symptoms

The symptoms are similar to those of depression.

Reduced sunlight triggers them, and then the symptoms disappear in spring as the days get longer.

Symptoms include: ∙ Mood swings ∙ Feeling irritable

everyday activities Feeling lethargic and sleepy A persistent low mood Low self-esteem Sleeping for longer than normal and having an increased appetite (unlike regular depression) ∙ A reduced sex drive ∙ Dark or suicidal thoughts ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙

Effective treatments

Several treatments have been proven to combat seasonal affective disorder: ∙ Light therapy when you wake up is one of them.

It involves spending 30 minutes in front of a 10,000-lux light box, which is almost identical to real sunlight. Check the model bears medical EC branding before you buy. ∙ Taking medication well ahead of time, from the end of summer, can also achieved good results: taking vitamins (especially vitamin D) or anti-depressants for long-term use (unlike anxiolytic that is only suitable for a bit of a boost). Again, please consult your GP. ∙ Therapy is also a great mid- to long-term way to treat seasonal affective disorder.

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TEXT

Sarah Braun

Winter blues vs seasonal affective disorder

∙ A loss of pleasure or interest in normal

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

THE COVID EFFEC T

More people seem to be affected by SAD since 2020. Why? The social isolation caused by lockdowns and curfews has forced people to hole up at home. The international survey by COH-FIT* (Collaborative Outcomes Study on Health and Functioning during Infection Times) found a 25% increase in levels of stress, loneliness, and anger among survey respondents.

If you don’t suffer from SAD, then here are some tips to help you avoid the winter blues: ∙ Up your mood-boosting magnesium intake at the end of summer to combat tiredness and feeling low as well as reduce anxiety and stress. ∙ Outdoor exercise: at least 30 minutes.

That’s how long it takes for the body to start releasing happy hormones: endorphins. It’s best to exercise outdoors to get your dose of sunlight so go for a run, bike ride or brisk walk. ∙ Try essential oils: ylang-ylang, neroli, verbena, frankincense and marjoram are ideal for beating the winter blues.

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* The COH-FIT survey is a major international survey on the health impact of COVID19 on global populations that launched in April 2020: 100,000 people were questioned to assess the impact of the pandemic on the population’s physical and mental health.

BEAT THE WINTER BLUES

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

ADVERTORIAL

A R A NG E OF HIG HLY B IOAVA IL A B LE & ECO -F R IE NDLY FOOD SUPPLE ME NTS Healthential is a platform dedicated to natural health and well-being, offering a range of natural and eco-friendly food supplements formulated in Luxembourg by a team of scientific experts and nutritherapists.

David Blondiau, naturopath, specialist in nutritherapy and founder of the Académie de Naturopathie Luxembourg, and Aurélie Maire, biochemist, an engineer specialising in human nutrition, a naturopath and yoga teacher with a diploma in yoga health and yogatherapy, are the originators of this product range.

“To understand the need for dietary supplements, you have to understand the major changes in our diet in recent years. The increased use of industrial processes in the manufacture of food has drastically reduced the nutritional density of our food. Add to this the fact that physical activity has been halved in 100 years, and it is impossible today, with a normal diet, to have the recommended daily intake,” explains David Blondiau very clearly.

Most of the population is therefore deficient in many vitamins and minerals, particularly magnesium, vitamin D and zinc. Supplementation is therefore necessary to make up for these deficiencies.

“We have established a range of products that target the major imbalances found in people in recent years, in terms of energy, digestion and oxidative stress,” explains David Blondiau.

How to know your needs?

Healthential proposes to carry out a complete anamnesis, during an appointment, to target the imbalances. “Not all supplements should be taken blindly, hence the importance of an appointment with a naturopathic expert in order to obtain advice adapted to the particular needs of the person,” explains David Blondiau.

In order to be guided as to which products are best suited to their needs, the platform’s customers can either fill out an online questionnaire to help them or consult a naturopathic expert by telephone to receive free product advice.

Another point not to be underestimated when using food supplements is that they are not a miracle solution.

“If you take your supplements every day, but you don’t do any physical activity, the micronutrients will not be absorbed. There is no substitute for a healthy lifestyle,” insists Blondiau.

A different range: a highly bioavailable range

During the formulation stage, the scientific experts took the time to find the most appropriate dosage for each supplement, coupling it with high-quality ingredients.

“Our products are highly bioavailable, i.e., assimilable by the body, to guarantee optimal effectiveness,” explains Aurélie Maire.

The Healthential range is guaranteed to be free of additives, emulsifiers, gluten and dairy sources. The products are also free of anti-inflammatory elements such as iron, copper or manganese. “Each ingredient

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TEXT

Marion Finzi

Why take food supplements?

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

ADVERTORIAL

has been thought out and has an implication,” underlines Aurélie Maire.

An eco-responsible range made in Luxembourg

The product range is presented in glass pillboxes, in an eco-responsible approach.

The formulation was developed in a laboratory in Luxembourg, based on scientific studies, by a team of scientific experts and nutritherapists.

An energy boost to face the winter

“Magnesium is essential for our body because it is impossible to produce energy without magnesium.”

To get through the winter with more vitality and energy, zinc, magnesium and vitamin D are essential and are strongly recommended as a supplement to a good diet and regular physical activity.

The next ADNL school year, to pursue a professional training to become a naturopath, will start in September 2022. It can be done either face-toface or through e-learning. Monthly information sessions are planned to explain the course of this training (a two-year program). The next information session will be held on 13 January 2022.

ADNL also offers conferences for the public on various topics related to well-being and natural health. The next conference is scheduled for 20 January 2022 with the theme: Naturopathy through the seasons, prevent and treat winter ailments naturally.

For any registration before January 15, 2022, people will benefit from free access to the conferences given until their return in September 2022.

For more information: academie-naturopathie.lu

Ask your doctor’s advice before taking food supplements, especially if you are undergoing medical treatment, have a medical history, are pregnant or are breastfeeding.

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Find all the products and more information on: healthential.lu

W E BTA L K

PY T ME D DE T !

WH AT T HE DA NE S H AV E IN COMMON WIT H BA LOO T HE B E A R .

The Danes are one of the happiest people on the globe.

That’s not something only the Danes themselves say – and, as is well known, Danes don’t lie – this statement can even be backed up with facts. The yearly “World Happiness Report” from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network of the United Nations on the life satisfaction of the different countries in the world shows that Denmark landed on first place three times over the last years. However, the latest edition has Denmark only on second place: the Danes had to make way for the only people even happier than themselves – the Finns. Whereupon the Finns really deserve some credit that they can achieve peak happiness with a national language that has no less than fifteen cases!

Strategies for bad weather

But does that alone suffice to be happy? Not quite. For the Danes there is another aspect that plays a role. The phenomenon goes by the name of “pyt” and is, just like “hygge” not translatable in a single word. The concept, that the Danes voted as their favourite word in their language in 2018, means something like “whatever” or “never mind!” What it signifies is that one should not be upset for long about negative occurrences, mishaps or similar uncomfortable daily experiences but should leave them behind. The thing happened anyway, there is no point to let it ruin your mood afterwards. An especially charming characteristic of “pyt:” This basic principle implies further that one can see other people’s mishaps or mistakes in a more generous light and forgive them.

In that sense, a rather philanthropic concept.

Look for the bare necessities

From this follows: those who can live according to “hygge” and “pyt” have a happier life because they take care to have comfort and don’t worry too much. Thus, the bare necessities of life will come to you – as taught by Baloo the Bear in the Disney classic “The Jungle Book.” By the way, Luxembourgers seem to have copied a bit of the “hygge” happiness recipe with a side of “pyt” from the bear – and of course the Danes. After all, the Grand Duchy achieved a respectable eighth place in the World Happiness Report in 2021.

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Back to the Danes. How is it that they are so happy in the high North of all places? Now, on the one hand it has to do with the, by now, well-known concept of “hygge”; that typical danish life philosophy that broadly states to live a life that is as pleasant and comfortable for oneself as possible. Somehow that is also a survival strategy what with the terribly long and cold winters up there. It is no wonder that people like to have it warm and comfy at home. The international triumph of “hygge” has, by the way, contributed to the fact that these days even in our latitude people like to get a bit of “hygge” for themselves, not only in bad weather – but more on that later.

No hard feelings!

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

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COLUMN

NO C A R B S ?

NO PROB L E M!

About me: At my “best,” I weighed nearly 130 kilograms. You always find a reason. For me, it was work and family. I neglected my personal wellbeing, my eating and living habits DR . MARC KEIPES changed. I continued to advise people on how to lose weight: exercise reguDirector larly and stay healthy, but I simply ZithaGesondheetsZentrum couldn’t do it myself. Until one day, I – who avoided scales and mirrors like the devil avoids holy water – had to gesondheetszentrum.lu/blog look at myself closely on a video.

I saw myself in full life-size giving advice to people that I didn’t follow myself. It shocked me into looking after my health again. The first steps involved measuring fat, controlling my weight, and wearing a fitness tracker to document my body’s activity and measure my sleep. There is a proverb: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”

I had fought with weight fluctuations earlier in life too (every time my wife was pregnant, I gained weight in solidarity), but during the summer holidays, with less stress and more time for exercise, I would avoid carbohydrates to force my body to burn fat. In a few weeks, I would lose five to six kilos, which I would then gain back over the year. At the time, I went jogging regularly and completed many marathons, albeit at a gentle pace. I remembered this when I saw the shock video and began a “no-carb” or

“keto diet” straight away. I wanted to see it through for six weeks, without a break, to get fast results. As I had always felt really good doing this, and lost weight quickly without significant muscle loss, I realised that I had to carry on, at least with the low-carb version, and that I would have to maintain this lifestyle from now on.

Between April 2013 and the end of 2017, I lost 34 kilos.

There were a few small relapses, for example on holidays or between Christmas and New Year, but I would always return to the low-carb diet I was now used to, before my trousers would start to pinch again.

B E FOR E

LOW CARB FOR EVERYONE!

AFTER

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Practically since the beginning, Dr Keipes has been part of the KACHEN team. His column is always a popular read, with interesting tips and insights on the subject of health and nutrition. Now, as of this issue, we would like to introduce you to a more personal side of our health expert, based on his own struggles and experiences. After finding the low-carb diet for himself as the best alternative for keeping his weight under control, he now wants to share his practical realisations and insight of this diet and its rather convenient integration into everyday life. In addition to practical tips and explanations, we will also include a recipe collection with low-carb dishes by Dr. Keipes. In addition, we will include the complete recipe collection in one of the TastyBoxes next year.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

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TEXT PHOTOS

Joscha Remus Joscha Remus & Raymond Clement

LUXEMBOURG

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

LUXEMBOURG

Y V E S R A DE LE T A ROM A V I R T UOSO

It’s already been five years since Yves and Jennifer Radelet set up their culinary temple in the middle of the Our nature park. In their restaurant, “Yves Radelet,” in Drauffelt, they serve the best of innovative gastronomy. The ingredients for success are simple: fresh seasonal products from local suppliers and a good pinch of heart-warming hospitality.

ent cheeses – also mimicking the contours of Luxembourg. The Munster cheese, the blue cheese and a white cream cheese with herbs are a lovely tribute to the national colours.

When asked who inspires him the most for his often astonishing creations, the virtuoso points, with a smile, to his wife Jennifer, distinguished by Gault-Millau in 2019 as the best hostess in the country.

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Photographer Raymond Clement and I took an autumnal stroll, which led us to the blaze of colours in the Our nature park in idyllic Drauffelt, where Yves Radelet celebrates his exceptional culinary art. We had already visited him in spring 2021, when the inventive cooking magician amazed us with a dessert from a 3D printer. The dessert featured the outlines of Luxembourg, and Yves Radelet surprised us with three differ-

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

LUXEMBOURG

Time and again, Yves Radelet manages to deliciously capture the tastes of the seasons in his creations. An art which inevitably led to being included in Gault-Millau.

The maestro’s soft spot for molecular cooking is well-known.

Thus, in the autumn menus, in addition to cranberries and celery refined with maple syrup, a fine powder of bacon delicately accompanies a praline of the tenderest wild boar fillet.

The transparent celery beads, which shimmer like golden caviar on a lobster, are also a result of his alchemical arts.

In addition to these complex creations in the restaurant, Jennifer und Yves Radelet continue to surprise in their own shop with down-to-earth delicacies. The sausage products with herbs, made in Drauffelt, and the delicate cheeses have an astonishing array of flavours, such as the cumin sausages or the creamy Caprice de Drauffelt.

The chocolate pralines really must be tried, as well as the fruit jelly, naturally in the shape of Luxembourg too.

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Yves Radelet, originally from Belgium, had already established himself as a chef in Bourscheid at Domaine de la Gaichel and had his own restaurant in Luxembourg City until 2011.

They were only able to realise their dream of moving to the countryside with their children after they were able to open their cheese shop in the beautiful country house in the Our nature park and the Yves Radelet restaurant in 2016. Things are much more relaxed now, says Jennifer, radiant.

They made wonderful use of the lockdown period to develop new ideas and to improve their country house.

The walls of the converted barn are partly covered with moss, and guests relax in comfortable blue armchairs under spectacularly designed lamps. Jennifer explains that she learnt the art of hospitality from her grandmother.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

T H I N K V EGE TA B L E S! T H I N K F RU I T!®

WE ’R E SM A RT G R E E N GUIDE T HE B E S T V EG E TA B LE R E S TAUR A NTS IN T HE WOR LD Every year, We’re Smart® World publishes a ranking of the 100 best gourmet vegetable restaurants in the world. The ranking is based on radishes and radish leaves. The higher the radish score, the greater the chance of making it to the top of the list. The ranking is based on the most consistent application of the Think Vegetables!

Think Fruit!® philosophy.

Number 1 on this annual list is the best vegetable restaurant in the world. This year, the We’re Smart World Awards ceremony took place at Bourglinster Castle in Luxembourg. For the second time in a row, Chef René Mathieu’s Distillerie was named the best vegetable restaurant in the world! Emile van der Staak and Michaël Vrijmoed followed in second and third place.

As the exclusive media partner of We’re Smart® World, KACHEN features a recipe from each of the top 3 chefs on the following pages.

For more information on the We’re Smart Green Guide, visit: weresmartworld.com

F.l.t.r.: Frank Fol, René Mathieu, Michaël Vrijmoed und Emile van der Staak

THE BEST VEGETABLE RESTAUR ANTS IN THE WORLD 2021:

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1 René Mathieu, La Distillerie, Luxembourg 2 Emile van der Staak, De Nieuwe Winkel, The Netherlands 3 Michaël Vrijmoed, Vrijmoed, Belgium

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

T H I N K V EGE TA B L E S! T H I N K F RU I T!®

ROA S T E D C AUL I F LOW E R F L AVOUR E D W I T H P OL L E N Serves 4 20 minutes 2 hours

For the cauliflower

› › › › › › › ›

1 cauliflower 1 tbsp pollen 80 g vegetable butter Herbs de Provence Salt Pepper Paprika Curry

For the sauce

› › › › › › › › › ›

RECIPE PHOTO

René Mathieu Marc Dostert

The cauliflower 1 Prepare the cauliflower: cut off the base, remove

the leaves and reserve a piece.

2 Melt the butter in a frying pan, then add the spices according to your taste: salt, pepper, paprika, curry, or a pre-made blend.

3 Brush the cauliflower with the mixture. Place it on a large sheet of baking paper and wrap it tightly in the paper (forming a papillote).

4 Place in the oven at 180°C for two hours.

The sauce 1 Finely chop the shallots. Put the shallots and white

2 shallots 200 g vegetable butter 30 g birch bark 1 cinnamon stick 3 nice sprigs of patchouli or, failing that, a little mint 100 ml white wine 1 lemon Salt Pepper 100 ml vegetable cream

2 Then add the cream. Gradually whisk in the butter.

The idea is to get a smooth, creamy texture.

3 Infuse the patchouli at the last minute so that you

can enjoy all its flavours, strain the sauce and keep it warm.

To finish 1 Grate the piece of cauliflower previously removed.

2 Carefully remove and open the paper papillote from

the oven, place on a dish and sprinkle with pollen and the chopped raw cauliflower and serve with the patchouli and birch bark beurre blanc.

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wine in a saucepan over medium high heat. Sweat the shallots with the fresh birch bark (no browning) for 1 – 2 minutes.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

T H I N K V EGE TA B L E S! T H I N K F RU I T!®

G L A Z E D C H IOG G I A , B E E T ROOT, OR A NG E & VA N I L L A Serves 4 30 minutes 2 hours

For the glazed chioggia

› › › › › ›

2 chioggia beetroots 150 ml vegetable stock 1 tsp sugar Little piece of butter 1 mace (nutmeg) Salt

For the beetroot baked in salt crust

› › › ›

1 beetroot 215 g flour 205 ml water 205 g salt

For the chioggia sauce

› Chioggia glaze juice › Juice of ½ orange › Vanilla oil

For the sauce maltaise

› › › › › ›

kneading, into the saltcrust dough.

2 Wash the beetroot and wrap it completely in the dough.

3 Bake for around 2 hours at 200°C until the beetroot is cooked.

The chioggia sauce 1 Mix all ingredients

and set aside.

The sauce maltaise 1 In a bain-marie, combine the

eggs with the vinegar. Stirring constantly, add the water, until the cream thickens and smoothens.

2 Add the butter in small chunks,

whisking.

3 Off the heat, add the zest and

tarragon.

To finish 1 Reheat the chioggia beetroot

and mix with a few spoons of the sauce maltaise.

2 Cover with a few slices of beetroot and decorate with some orange confit zests.

3 Finish with the chioggia sauce.

Michaël Vr ijmoed H e i k k i Ve r d u r m e

The beetroot baked in salt crust 1 Combine the flour, salt and water,

the beetroot and cut it into thin slices with a cutting machine.

RECIPE PHOTO

pieces of ca. 1.5cm, add the rest of the ingredients and glaze the chioggia in a pot, covered, until cooked soft.

4 Leave to cool down, then peel

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Glazed chioggia 1 Peel the chioggia and cut into

3 eggs 60 g butter 2 tbsp tarragon vinegar 2 tbsp water 2 tbsp fresh tarragon Zest of 1 orange

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

T H I N K V EGE TA B L E S! T H I N K F RU I T!®

C HE S T NUT T E MPE H , G L A ZE D WIT H UNR IPE SZEC HUA N B E R RY, C HINE S E M A HOG A N Y & PLUM

Serves 4 30 minutes + fermentation 50 minutes + cooling

For the chestnut tempeh

› 500 g chestnuts › 8 g tempeh starter › 30 ml apple vinegar

For the barbecue glaze

› › › › › › › › For the chestnut tempeh 1 Prepare 2 zip-lock bags by pricking holes with a

For the barbecue glaze 1 Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat,

2 Cook the chestnuts for 40 minutes in a large pot

2 Cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce

needle at 2-cm intervals.

Emile van der Staak

3

RECIPE

330 ml dark ale 65 ml red wine vinegar 100 g Chinese mahogany leaves 45 g plum purée 55 g honey 10 g unripe Szechuan berries 6 g salt Fried onions, to decorate

4 5 6 7

has thickened.

3 Leave for at least 10 minutes.

4 Scrape the barbecue sauce into a food processor

and purée into a smooth consistency. Let cool at room temperature.

To finish 1 Cut the chestnut tempeh into 3-cm cubes.

2 Use the young shoots of Japanese quince

(or regular skewers) to skewer two pieces of tempeh onto each stick.

3 Heat the barbecue and roast the tempeh skewers 5 minutes on each side. Finish by brushing all sides generously with barbecue sauce. Roast for another 4 minutes, careful not to burn them.

4 Finish by rolling the glazed skewers in fried onions.

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8

covered with 5 cm of water until they are tender but not mushy. Skim off and discard any impurities that rise to the surface while cooking the chestnut.

Drain the chestnuts and spread out on towels and pat them dry. Allow to cool below 37°C. Transfer the nuts to a clean bowl and add the apple vinegar.

Sprinkle the tempeh starter over the chestnuts and mix to distribute evenly.

Divide the nuts evenly in the zip lock bags and flatten the chestnuts out evenly.

Place the bags in a room with 30°C and 70% humidity.

Depending on the conditions, the tempeh may take up to 48 hours to form a white layer around the chestnuts, binding them into a dense, firm cake.

Stop the fermentation by transferring the tempeh to airtight bags and storing it in the refrigerator. It can be kept cold for up to one week.

stirring, until simmering.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

[re] *

incl.

Offer subject to availability, terms and conditions apply.

tax

Bookings in your travel agency, in your Luxair Travel Store or on luxair.lu

B LOG AWA R D

2020 All’s well that ends well! On October 20 th , the time had finally come: the grand finale of the KACHEN BLOG AWARD 2020 took place at Hotel le Royal, with almost 200 invited guests, delicious food, crémant and wine, music, good humour, well-filled goodie bags and, in the end, 13 lucky winners! We would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants, partners, sponsors and the KACHEN team!

And these are the winners of the KACHEN BLOG AWARD 2020:

Special Award “Influencer of the year” Premium partners Le Royal & Domaines Vinsmoselle

NATASCHA BINTZ

Special Award Main Partner Lifestyle CASINO 2000

Special Award Main Partner Fashion & Beauty PARIS 8

REYHANS KITCHEN

YASDAK

FL AWLESS YOU

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Special Award Main Partner Food KITCHENAID

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

B LOG AWA R D

Jury Award Lifestyle Main Partner Lifestyle

Jury Award Fashion & Beauty Premium Partner Fashion & Beauty

MARINOL A

PAULINA ON THE ROAD

CINNAMOON

Special Award “Coup de Coeur du Jury” Exclusive Media Partner

Special Award “Coup de Cœur” du Luxemburger Wort

Special Award “Coup de Coeur” of the Kachen editors

FR ANZ PIZZALUX

LOVELY BLONDIE

I AM LUCA

Audience Award Food Main Partner Food & Premium Partner Food

Audience Award Lifestyle Premium Partner Lifestyle

Audience Award Fashion & Beauty Main Partner Fashion & Beauty

THE NOMAD COOKERY

FIFT Y SHADES OF SIN

BELINDA FASHIONISTA

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Jury Award Food Premium Partner Food

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

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B LOG AWA R D

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

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B LOG AWA R D

B LOG AWA R D

As part of the BLOG AWARD, a number of events are held in cooperation with our partners. Two of these events could only be organised shortly before the award ceremony due to the pandemic, but this did not detract from their success.

Around 20 bloggers and influencers accepted PARIS 8’s invitation on September 30 th and came to the boutique on the Grand-Rue to celebrate together and discover the latest cosmetic trends and a fascinating perfume atelier over nibbles and champagne.

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Less than a week later, our main partner in the lifestyle category, CASINO 2OOO, invited around 20 BLOG AWARD participants to the stylish Purple Lounge to enjoy live music and good food.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

beloved Belgium Take a break.

Visit Brussels, Namur, Ghent, Antwerp and Liege by train.

www.cfl.lu

SAG IT TA R IUS

C A PR ICOR N

AQUA R IUS

22.11. - 21.12.

22.12. - 19.01.

20.01. - 18.02.

You love to eat healthy and seasonal food, and you truly believe that we are what we eat!

After a predictable food orgy during your Christmas’ holidays, with chocolates, foie gras and cakes, it is time to learn how to walk (again) with a stuffed belly.

Pumpkin and squash are everywhere in your home garden, and you will eat soup all winter long.

Afterall, it’s good, nutritious and seasonal. Don’t hesitate to make some extra, to give away to your neighbours, the postie and your friends. Your kids will be grateful for this (not so) selfless act!

Always eager to try new things, you want to organize a barbecue on a snow day, wrapped up in your coat to fight the cold and warmed up by the heat of the fire.

Bold. But bear in mind that you might end up eating all by yourself.

SPICY MULLED WINE › 200 ml red wine › 25 g brown sugar › 1 tsp ground nutmeg › Orange, clove, star anise

MOSCOW MULE › 60 ml vodka › 15 ml lime juice › 120 ml ginger beer › Ice cubes › Fresh mint and lemon slices

COCKTAIL GIN AND GINGER › 60 ml gin › 140 ml ginger ale › Fresh ginger and blueberries

The perfect cocktail to feel like you’re in Moscow… or at least, warm up your entire body to survive the Luxemburgish winter like a Muscovite.

The ultimate blend to recover after a shopping day out in the cold, but it also works wonders after a tiring day at work!

Nothing beats spicy mulled wine to block out the cold wind, but be careful, that could lead to weird results, such as dressing too lightly at – 5 degrees. Mulled wine is delicious, but traitorous!

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TEXT

Marion Finzi

FOODOSCOPE

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

PISC E S

A R IE S

TAURUS

19.02. - 20.03.

21.03. - 19.04.

20.04. - 20.05.

You secretly dream of taking off to a sunny destination to spend the Holidays accompanied by pina colada, fresh exotic fruits and grilled fish. Follow your guts!

In any event, Santa Claus will find you… he’s magical, isn’t he?

Christmas holidays are one step away : endless dinners with your family, and nothing to do. One piece of advice, dressing too lightly to clear the table and do some dishes, otherwise you will not be allowed to eat your dessert!

Your life motto: the longer the meal goes on, the merrier it gets.

You are more than thrilled to sit for 4 hours, sampling delicious meals. Cherry on the Christmas cake, the lunches and dinners will last for several days in a row!

G E MINI

C A NC E R

LE O

21.05. - 20.06.

21.06. - 22.07.

23.07. - 22.08.

You are in full brainstorming mode for the New-Year’s Eve party. You want to blow away your friends, especially after last year’s fiasco. This year, no virus will prevent you for throwing an unforgettable party.

You have already eaten all the chocolates in your Advent Calendar. Try not to eat all the sweet treats that will be at the office during this month, otherwise your colleagues might get a bit mad at you!

As always, you are eager to show off, especially during family dinners. However, try to assess your audience before you make any innapropraite jokes at Christmas dinner … again.

V IRGO

LIB R A

SCOR PIO

23.08. - 22.09.

23.09. - 22.10.

23.10. - 21.11.

A walking dinner for Christmas day – what a great idea! No never-ending lunch, but instead little snacks all day long by the fire, while playing boardgames with your family.

If you really want to do it, prepare your most convincing arguments to make the whole gang give up on the stuffed traditions!

Your holidays’ schedule is crazy.

Lunches and dinners at your grandmother’s, your parents’ and your friends’ place. You’re worried that your body won’t recover from this excess of food. One way to solve this issue: decline one invitation. Good luck making that choice!

You always say exactly what you have in mind and are extremely stubborn. Surprisingly, when it comes to your mother’s stuffed capon and the white wine selected by your dad, you are quiet. That’s just how it is. As every year, you will bear the taste of overcooked meat and bitter wine.

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

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FOODOSCOPE

French 75

35 Onion quiche with walnut kachkéis

76 Jerusalem artichoke risotto

ME AT

V E G E TA R I A N

DR INK S

136 136

24 Roast lamb filet

38 Braised white beans with chorizo

77

37 Pumpkin pilaf with ricotta

76 Jerusalem artichoke salad

29 Raclette-cheese toastie

47 Herby hummous

69 Polenta wafers with chestnuts

123 173 Autumn soup

31 Turkey shakshuka

53

56

South-western duck steak

Lentil & bacon casserole

78

82

Pork chops with jerusalem artichokes

Parsnip velouté

Pastry & terrines

Chestnut tempeh

34 Mini chicken pops

58 Pumpkin waffle with poached egg

30 Vegetable gratin with brie

71 Chestnut gnocchi

174 Roasted cauliflower

34 Roast chicken thighs

69 Meatballs with mortadella

97

106

Palatinate cabbage rolls

Pan-fried foie gras

184

Pizza bianca with jerusalem artichokes

Espresso Martino

22

KACHEN No.29 | WINTER 21

34 Miso noodle soup with mushrooms

75 Jerusalem artichoke soup

175 Glazed chioggia

37 Triple-decker toastie

70 Spaghetti with chestnuts

110 Turkish manti

23 Potato pancake with caviar

32

33

Orange overnight oats

Organic stollen

62 Cinnamon rolls

67 Macaroons with vanilla

73 Gingerbread mousse

65 Pavlova

72 Chocolate tart with chestnut cream

89 Chocolate hearts

91 Rainbow pasta salad

54 Bounty à la Bertrand

66 Traditional mocha

72 Chestnut cream with vanilla

95

SWE E TS

FISH & S E A FOOD

RECIPE DIRECTORY & IMPRINT

101 Veal & crayfish tartar

Poached pears with saffron

55

59

Granny’s chocolaty pots

Edition

26

Sweet sorrento

60 King’s cake

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Sugar pie

Thermomix version at kachen.lu

Vegan Vegetarian Dairy-free Sugar-free Gluten-free

ISSN EAN 977-2535-8821-54

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Nut-free

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