Liechtenstein (Europe) 5 February 2023

Liechtenstein is located in the continent of Europe. It has Germany to the north, the Czech Republic to the northeast, Austria to the east, Slovenia to the southeast, Italy to the south, Switzerland to the southwest, France to the west, and Belgium to the northwest.

The capital is Vaduz.

The official language is German.

The climate is mild and is affected by the warm southerly winds. Temperatures range from -5 to 80.

The staple foods are fish, cheese, pork, smoked bacon, green beans, potatoes, cornmeal, semolina and a myriad of many more flavors (https://www.studycountry.com/guide/LI-gastronomy.htm).

https://www.britannica.com/place/Liechtenstein

KÄSKNÖPFLE (https://www.196flavors.com/liechtenstein-kasknopfle/):  

             – 3 C flour

            – 4 eggs

            – 2 tsp salt

            – 1 C water (or more)

            – 8 oz. Gruyere (Emmental or similar cheese), grated

            – 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add salt.
2. In another bowl, beat the eggs and 1 cup of water.
3. Add eggs to flour. Mix well to form a thick dough. If the dough is not thin enough to go through the holes in the ladle or colander, add a little water until reaching the right texture.
4. Set aside for twenty minutes.
5. Meanwhile, fry the onions in a lightly oiled pan. Stir regularly until onions are caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add a tablespoon of salt.
7. When the water is boiling, push the dough through the holes of a slotted spoon or colander. The dough should fall like “thick rain” and form tiny oblong balls.
8. The pasta is ready when it floats back to the surface after one to two minutes.
9. Immediately drain the pasta in a colander.
10. Put the pasta in a bowl and add the cheese. Stir so that the cheese melts.
11. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with the caramelized onions.

This was super easy to fix and amazing in flavors!! Highly recommend!

SWISS POTATO SALAD (https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/swiss-potato-salad/2435523):  

            – 5 lb. Idaho potatoes or red new potatoes

            – ½ ~ ¾ C white vinegar

            – ½ ~ ¾ C sugar

            – 2 tsp salt

            – 1 tsp pepper

            – 1 ~ 1-1/2 C Hellmann’s Mayonnaise

            – 2 TBSP yellow mustard

            – 6 celery ribs, chopped

            – 1 large sweet or Vidalia onion or purple onion, diced

1. Peel and cut potatoes into small chunks and boil for 20 mins.
2. Drain potatoes and return to a large bowl.
3. Sprinkle vinegar and sugar intermittently over the steaming potatoes.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper over steaming potatoes.
5. Let potatoes cool off as this allows the sweet and tangy flavors to meld together.
6. Add mayonnaise and mustard to potato mixture.
7. Add chopped celery and diced onion and stir to combine.
8. Refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.

This potato salad turned out really good! Loved it!

DREIKÖNIGSKUCHEN (Swiss Three Kings Cake) (https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/dreikonigskuchen-three-kings-cake/):  

            – ½ C raisins

            – 1 C milk, warmed to 80F

            – ¼ C + 1 TBSP sugar, divided

            – 4 tsp active dry yeast

            – 4 TBSP unsalted butter, softened

            – 1 egg, at room temperature

            1-1/2 tsp lemon zest (zest of one large lemon)

            – 4 C unbleached all-purpose flour

            – 1 tsp salt

            – 1 almond (for the “king”) (optional)

For the Topping:

            – 1 egg beaten with 1 TBSP milk

            – 1~2 tsp sugar

            – 2 TBSP sliced almonds (optional)

1. In a small bowl, cover raisins with warm water. Set aside until plump.
2. In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix milk with 1 TBSP of sugar and yeast. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Mix the softened butter, ¼ C sugar, egg, and lemon zest in with the yeast mixture.
4. Mix in 1 C of flour.
5. Add the salt and 2 C flour, mixing as you add.
6. Drain the raisins and knead them into the dough. Add the remaining 1 C of flour slowly, mixing until a soft dough starts to come together.
7. Knead the dough for 10 – 15 minutes by hand, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Knead until smooth (if using the dough hook on a stand mixer, knead 5 – 7 minutes, or until smooth).
8. Place the dough in a clean, greased bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel, and set in a warm (70F) draft-free location to rise until doubled, roughly 2 hours.
9. After rising, turn the dough out of the bowl, onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a couple of time to deflate.
10. Divide the dough into 10 roughly equal pieces. Shape 8 of the pieces into rolls. Combine 2 of the pieces into one large roll.
11. Arrange the rolls on a greased baking sheet, with the larger roll at the center and the 8 rolls around the larger one, leaving just a little room between each roll for them to touch each other as they rise.
12. Brush the rolls with the egg and milk mixture. Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar and sliced almonds.
13. Set the rolls aside to rise, uncovered, for 30 – 40 minutes, until puffy.
14. Near the end of rising time, preheat your oven to 350F. Bake the risen rolls for 25 – 30 minutes, until golden.
15. Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
16. These rolls are best if eaten the day they are made, but they will stay good on the counter in an air-tight container for 3 – 4 days.

I would make this again in a heartbeat! The little sugar on top with the almonds is sooo good!! Very delicious even if you do NOT like raisins!