KACHEN 35 - Summer 2023 - EN by Luxe Taste & Style

SUMMER

No. 35

SUMMER DELIGHTS fresh & healthy

KACHEN

plan K

SUMMER 2023

E NG LI S H E DI TI O N

vins-cremants.lu

THE PERFECT DEAL TO YOUR MEAL

LUXEMBOURG’S FOOD & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

to be consumed with moderation

ONAL SEASCIPES RE

No. 35

13 € GERMANY, FRANCE, BELGIUM, NETHERLANDS, SPAIN, ITALY: 13.90 €

LËTZEBUERG

FOOD

LIFESTYLE

KIERMESZOPP CARLO SAUBER: PORETTENZAPP RESTAURANT PORTRAIT: OSÉ

QUICK & EASY BOWLS FEATURE: RAW FOOD APÉRO, PICNIC & BBQ

TRENDS: BABY SHOWER ALCOHOL-FREE DRINKS UPCYCLE YOUR FOOD

EUROPE: 14.50 € WORLD: 18.40 €

KACHEN_Cover_2023_02_EN.indd 1

16/05/2023 09:35

hi, Big Bad Wolf wrote a review (5 may.)

2023 COLOUR OF THE YEAR

In the deep dark woods • 71 contributions • 14 helpful votes

Such a fine dish! Much more tender than Red Riding Hood’s Grandma. Plus

THE VIBRANT BEAUTY OF NATURE, THE VIBRANT BEAUTY OF NATURE, CRAFTED FOR YOUR KITCHEN.

You, too, can live a real fairy tale. Enjoy an exceptional moment at the hotel Le Royal! Immerse yourself in fresh flavours, a trendy atmosphere and the kindness of attentive service at the Amélys restaurant. A sunny terrace, a taste buds’ paradise and memorable times. Your happiness starts here.

KITCHEN. Inspired byCRAFTED the captivatingFOR beauty YOUR of the Hibiscus flower in a verdant garden, this eye-catching fuchsia beauty is bound toHibiscus stand out onin your Inspired by the captivating of the flower a verdant countertop just asthis it does in nature. Let isyour inner bloom garden, eye-catching fuchsia bound to maker stand out on your countertop as it doesorinannature. Let Hibiscus your inner maker bloom with radiant Hibiscus just empanadas aromatic galette.

Le Royal Hotels & Resorts • 12, boulevard Royal • L-2449 Luxembourg T (+352) 24 16 16 737 • restauration-lux@leroyal.com amelys.lu

with radiant Hibiscus empanadas or an aromatic Hibiscus galette.

Discover more than 30 colors at www.kitchenaid.lu

KACHEN_Cover_2023_02_EN.indd 2 00_Kitchenaid_ALL_.indd 3

29/03/2023 13:56

16/05/2023 09:35

EDITORIAL

All the world’s a stage, and having come through the other end of a global health crisis, we – the actors – have had further crisis upon crisis to contend with for quite some time now. The fact that the bad guys always seem to land the leading roles can certainly get you down. It’s therefore up to us to take the reins and write the script of – at the very least – our own lives, with courage, confidence and conviction, to give ourselves and our loved ones the best possible storyline. Despite all the current challenges playing out on the world stage, we must aim to focus on the positives, finding things to be grateful for and spending time with family and friends.

our vineyards, there’s so much to taste and discover. And, as always, we’ll be showing you that you can do this in a responsible way as you’ll see in our section on sustainability.

For this issue of KACHEN, we’ve put together for you a beautiful collection of recipes that celebrate summer. From top tips for an alfresco aperitif to delicious, colourful dishes, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re hosting a garden party or planning a picnic in the great outdoors, you’ll find everything you need to make this a summer to remember.

So, stay positive and make the most of all that life has to offer! Sunny days, outdoor activities, ice cream, afterwork drinks in the open air and good food are all guaranteed to play a major role in your happy summer storyline! We hope you have lots of fun exploring and enjoying the many treasures our region has to offer!

But summer in Luxembourg is not just about food and drink... The (hopefully) good weather will also undoubtedly tempt you into spending more time outdoors. Whether you decide to take in some nature on one of the many hiking trails through our forests, explore the countryside by bike or spend hot days swimming in a lake or river, we’ve got some great suggestions for you!

Bibi Wintersdorf and the entire KACHEN team

For us at KACHEN, summertime is a time of indulgence. We reflect on our culinary roots and celebrate the rich variety of food that our region has to offer. From fresh vegetables from our producers to fine wines from

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 3

17/05/2023 11:35

SUMMARY

28 80 44 128 36 34

106 112 93 KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 4

17/05/2023 11:35

RESTAURANT & SHOP NEWS — 08 NEWS — 10

FOOD

M AG A ZINE

SUMMARY

PRODUCTS WE LOVE — 13

Summer party

FEATURE

—

The raw truth 64 Recipes by Bertrand Duchamps

BOOKS — 14

— 68

SUMMER PICNIC — 74

COVER STORY — 16

SEASONAL VEGETABLE — 84

Super Bowl

Peppers & chillis

FOODOSCOPE — 174

SEASONAL FRUIT — 92

RECIPE DIRECTORY — 176

LË T ZE BUE RG

SEASONAL MENU — 54

Blackberries

IMPRINT — 177

BAKING CLASSICS — 100

TYPICALLY LUXEMBOURGISH — 26

STEP-BY-STEP — 104

GRANNY’S RECIPE — 28

TRAVELLING TASTE BUDS — 106

ONCE UPON A TIME... — 30

KNOWLEDGE BITES

Strawberry sorbet by Alessandro Vitali

Kiermeszopp

Gougères

Summer pasta with salsiccia

Peruvian ceviche

Crème brûlée by René Mathieu

From exotic to native Local exotics 110

—

MY LUXEMBOURG — 34

Judd mat Gaardebounen by Julien Lucas

K IDS

LUXEMBOURGISH CLASSICS — 32

Porettenzapp by Carlo Sauber

EXPAT RECIPE — 36

— 108

DO IT YOURSELF — 112 Refreshing ideas

KACHEN MAT KANNER — 115 Rainbow vegetable tart

Piliç Topkapi by Serkan Yardımcı

DR INK S

RESTAURANT PORTRAIT — 38 Osé – A gourmet dining experience

CAFÉ PORTRAIT — 40 Kesselbetrib

VINTNER FAMILY — 118 Molling Wines

INTERVIEW — 120 Château Les Crostes

PORTRAIT OF A CHEF — 42

BAR SNAPSHOT — 124

CHEF’S MASTER CLASS — 44

KNOWLEDGE BITES — 126

LOCAL & REGIONAL — 48

RECIPES — 127

MEET THE MAKERS — 50

SHAKE IT BABY! — 128

Carole Lesquer

BAC

Lemon melissa tart

A hundred per cent 0.0%

Sheep’s milk ice cream, fried cheese & co.

Infiiorata – Florist & artist

MADE IN LUXEMBOURG — 52

5 fresh drinks

FEATURE — 130 A matter of taste

Simon Le Financier

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

03_EDITO SUMMARY_EN.indd 5

17/05/2023 14:05

LIF E S T Y LE

SUMMARY

MUST HAVES — 134 Sunshine yellow

TABLE DESIGN — 136

Summertime is travel time

TREND — 138

Baby shower – A slightly different party

138

RESTAURANT DESIGN — 142 La Grappe d’Or

ART — 144 Iva Mrázková

AGENDA — 146 IN NUMBERS — 148

A pact to help save the climate

152

ASK THE FARMER — 150 Questions about agriculture?

IN THE GARDEN — 152

A colourful patchwork of crops

SUSTAINABILITY — 154 Upcycle...your food?

GREEN KITCHEN — 156 Spotlight on...food labelling

10 REASONS — 158 to get swimming again!

MINDFULNESS — 160 Your diet: Heatwave style!

KNOWLEDGE BITES — 161 Poke bowl vs Buddha bowl

BETTER LIVING — 162

ON TOUR

5 plants to combat water retention

THINK VEGETABLES! THINK FRUIT! ®

—

Enrico Crippa 164 Panna cotta Matisse

158

— 166

HOTEL PORTRAIT

Swap stress for vitality Vegan paella 170

—

— 168

RESTAURANT PORTRAIT — 172

La Maison dans le Parc

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 6

17/05/2023 11:35

T HE T E A M

TEAM

ALESSANDRO VITALI Alessandro discovered his passion for baking at a young age while he was helping his grandmother to prepare traditional Italian cakes. After graduating from pastry school in Pavia (Italy), Alessandro started working in prestigious hotels, restaurants and pastry shops. He moved to Luxembourg in 2011 where he broadened his knowledge of French pastry, working as head of unit for Oberweis and later for Goeres Group. With 20 years of experience in patisserie, Alessandro’s job is his passion ‒ an art form and a kind of therapy at the same time.

CARLO SAUBER Carlo Sauber could be described as “well-known through radio and television” (and numerous publications). For 23 years he has been a teacher at the Lycée Technique de Bonnevoie in Luxembourg where he trains young chefs. After receiving a diploma in hospitality and then becoming a master chef, he began his career in the international culinary field. As head of the national culinary team, he brought Luxembourg’s cuisine up to 9th place in the world rankings. He is also active as a juror and instructor in the World Association of Chefs’ Societies, where he wholeheartedly shares on his passion and knowledge.

MARCEL THIELE Having travelled to 93 countries, this charismatic chef, pastry chef and Business Development Manager of Koppert Kress is one of the industry’s so-called ‘exotics’. He needs a sharp chef ’s knife and a well-equipped kitchen to prepare his creations, but his tools also include a camera, a pre-packed expedition kit and a microphone. His title Spicehunter is apt, because spice stands for the entire natural pharmacy used in the culinary arts worldwide, and herbs, spices, flowers, roots and micro-plants are more than just flavour enhancers for Marcel. He has turned his hobbies of travelling, photography, architecture and cooking into his profession!

PHOTO & STYLING Paula Soryano

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 7

17/05/2023 11:35

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

DO FOR LOVE

MAISON BELLO

14, Rue de la Libération

51, Boulevard Royal

102, Avenue de la Faïencerie

L-3510 Dudelange

L-2449 Luxembourg

L-1511 Luxembourg

co-labor.lu

doforlove.lu

maisonbello.com

Co-labor, a cooperative specialising in organic products, opened a new store in Dudelange. With 40 years of experience, the brand promotes a solidarity-based economy, combating social exclusion through vocational training and job creation. The store offers a range of organic products from their gardens, along with a bistro, workshops, and themed events. They also participate in a weekly market and have plans for a pick-your-own flower field. Visit Co-labor’s new store in Dudelange for a unique shopping experience!

Located at 51 Boulevard Royal in Luxembourg, Do For Love is a coffee shop with a sophisticated and minimalist interior. Equipped with a large grey terrazzo bar and a magnificent matte black coffee machine, the space exudes an industrial feel with one of its walls left in its original raw state. The coffee selection is carefully curated, featuring exclusive specialty beans from Nantes’s renowned roaster, “Cime.” Complemented by delectable sweet and savoury pastries, Do For Love promises an exceptional coffee experience.

Maison Bello, renowned for its expertise in matured and organic meat, has now opened a new location in Luxembourg, following its success in Lyon and Megève. With its traditional vibe, the new shop in Limpertsberg offers a range of local products. They carefully select award-winning beef, freerange pork and artisanal charcuterie together with cheese, wine and spirits in the delicatessen. The meat is prepared on-site using traditional techniques for enhanced flavour and tenderness.

CO-L ABOR

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 8

17/05/2023 11:35

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

MIEL & SAFR AN

BENU SLOOW

26, rue des Capucins

15, Rue Notre Dame

32, Rue d’Audun

L-1313 Luxembourg

L-2240 Luxembourg

L-4018 Esch-sur-Alzette

mellis.lu

mielsafran.lu

sloow.benu.lu

The first shop offering exclusively products from the hive in Luxembourg City will open its doors on 14 July at 26, rue des Capucins. Since its creation, the local brand MELLIS has promoted honey, supporting beekeepers and raising awareness about the importance of bees. In their temporary shop you will find a wide range of carefully selected products. Tastings and events will also be held. Don’t miss this unique and honey-sweet experience!

Miel & Safran (a Moroccan restaurant in nearby Yutz in France) has recently opened in Luxembourg. In this new location, authentic Moroccan cuisine is served in a modern, elegant setting. The menu features tagines, couscous, pastillas, grilled meat, vegetarian dishes and traditional desserts. Spices are directly sourced from Morocco and carefully selected by the chef ’s family. With its warm and welcoming atmosphere, Miel & Safran will take you on a journey bursting with flavour through Moroccan cuisine.

Here you are in the post-gastronomic world. No idea what that means? Don’t worry, neither do they. But at BENU, they like to shake things up, go further, experiment... On 7 June, the ecovillage of Eschsur-Alzette welcomed Benu Sloow. In line with the spirit of the whole project, it is all about rescued food, zero waste, mismatched crockery, 100% recycled decor and, above all, surprising, high-quality recipes. With two chefs with impressive CVs, (having worked for star chefs and heads of state) this concept restaurant promises to wow its customers!

MELLIS POP-UP

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 9

17/05/2023 11:35

NEWS

L A TA B LE DE S C HE FS Maison Mumm launched La Table des Chefs, an innovative gastronomic concept offering young chefs a three-month residency to showcase their cuisine. Located in Reims, the restaurant aims to provide a diverse dining experience. Chef Mallory Gabsi presents exceptional dishes reflecting his Belgian origins and regional influences. Guests can indulge in a culinary journey with extraordinary flavours and high-quality ingredients. It’s a must-visit for a unique gastronomic adventure in the Champagne region. mumm.com

LE T ’S C E LE B R AT E In 2022, KACHEN organised a competition for its distributors in the MPK network. The best seller of our magazine won a dinner for two at the two-star Ma Langue Sourit restaurant in Moutfort. Gilles Lesquir from a newsagent in Mersch had the pleasure of attending this exceptional dinner and meeting the chef, Cyril Molard. This event was timed to coincide with the restaurant’s 15th anniversary, which Ma Langue Sourit celebrated throughout the month of April with competitions and many special treats for its customers. mls.lu & kachen.lu

K AC HE N GOE S USA This year, the after-party of the prestigious White House Correspondents Dinner was held at the Luxembourg Embassy in Washington. An excellent opportunity to promote Luxembourg to the American media elite, as many of the best journalists in the United States were present. In addition to Luxembourgish drinks and snacks, the organisers handed out small gift bags to the 120 or so participants, containing all kinds of delicacies from Luxembourg and a copy of the spring issue of KACHEN magazine.

washington.mae.lu

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

05_NEWS_EN.indd 10

17/05/2023 13:19

KACHEN3

THE KIRSCH FAMILY & BRASSERIE GUILLAUME ARE PLEASED TO WELCOME YOU TO THE MARKET WHICH WILL BE BACK ON THE KNUEDLER FROM MID-JULY.

Every Wednesday & Saturday from 8am to 2pm at Place Guillaume in Luxembourg City.

KACHEN35_ANNONCE_LETZ_GEMEIS_NRASSERIE_GUILLAUME.indd 5 00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 11

Come & watch the world go by on Brasserie Guillaume’s beautiful terrace.

11/05/2023 11:35 11:43 17/05/2023

TA ST Y BOX

T HE K AC H E N TA S T Y B OX The summer edition of our TastyBox has an exciting mix of products in store for you. Delicious, stylish and useful, there’s something for everyone. Did you know that you can also subscribe to our TastyBox, just like our magazine? So don’t delay and get yours today. The autumn TastyBox will be available at the beginning of September, at the same time as the next issue of KACHEN which will be filled with more scrumptious surprises!

SUMMER EDITION 1 Multivitamin chocolate CHOCO HERO by Al-Vita, alvitanutrition.com 2 100 % Arabica coffee EL SALVADOR by Budai Coffee, budaicoffee.com 3 European vanilla by Koppert Cress, koppertcress.com 4 Farfalle by Le Moulin de Kleinbettingen, lemoulin1704.lu 5 Honey Rum Liquor by MELLIS, mellis.lu 6 BBQ Sauce by La Moutarderie de Luxembourg, moutarderie.lu

7 Recipe collection by Ayurveda Parkschlösschen, ayurvedaparkschloesschen.de 8 Espresso mugs by RAK Porcelain, rakporcelain.com 9 Chandon Garden Spritz available at WENGLER CHÂTEAUX ET DOMAINES, wengler.lu 6 8

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 12

17/05/2023 11:36

PRODUCTS WE LOVE

NE W E - S HOP B E R N A R D -M AS SA R D. LU! A B IRT HDAY S E T F ROM DOM A INE S V INSMOS E LLE Domaines Vinsmoselle has created a birthday set in honour of the 200th birthday of the Luxembourgish poet Edmond de la Fontaine, known as Dicks. The “Dicks Trilogy” box includes three bottles of Pinot Noir: Pinot Noir Rouge, Pinot Noir Rosé and Pinot Noir vinified in white. These three bottles each represent a well-known song by Dicks and feature illustrations by Marc Gales, a member of the cooperative. Scan the QR codes on the bottles and enjoy wine tasting to music.

Are you looking for a great vintage, a wine to open after work or simply a rare gem to serve to your guests at your next barbecue? Visit the new Bernard-Massard e-shop, where each month’s home page features a winemaker, a region, as well as promotions and all the latest news. And the icing on the cake? Delivery to your doorstep or workplace in Luxembourg. bernard-massard.lu/eshop

vinsmoselle.lu

R A MBOR N ’S PINK C IDE R IS BAC K If you tasted it in 2022, you will definitely be craving its fine bubbles. After a successful first year, Ramborn Pink Cider is back ‒ the perfect refreshing drink for a sunny day. A variation of the Luxembourg cider maker’s Original Cider, the Pink Cider is made by co-fermenting traditional apples and Mosel-grown grapes, giving it an unexpected rosé twist!

ramborn.lu

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 13

17/05/2023 11:36

BOOKS

OF CABBAGES AND KIMCHI

GIGGLING SQUID

FOOD BRITANNIA

— James Read —

— Giggling Squid —

— Andrew Webb —

James Read is on a mission to smuggle bacteria into our kitchens. In this book, he takes the ten greatest ‘living’ ferments - fermented foods that are neither cooked nor pasteurized ‒ and places them under the microscope, before cooking with them in all their delicious versatility. Featuring over 50 recipes ‒ “Of Cabbages and Kimchi” will help you create, understand and appreciate fermentation’s bubbling magic.

The Giggling Squid Cookbook is a celebration of Thai food from the much-loved restaurants famous for their Thai tapas and beautifully designed bold, vibrant interiors. Pranee, who opened the first Giggling Squid with her husband Andy in Brighton 20 years ago, was determined to bring real Thai mealtime buzz to the UK. Learn the secrets of their classic and sharing dishes, and cook them at home for family and friends.

British food has not traditionally been regarded as one of the world’s great cuisines, and yet Stilton cheese, Scottish raspberries and Welsh lamb are internationally renowned. And then there are all those dishes that inspire passionate loyalty among the initiated: Whitby lemon buns and banoffee pie, for example or pan haggerty and Henderson’s relish. The result is a rich and kaleidoscopic survey of a vibrant food scene, steeped in history but full of fresh ideas for the future.

240 pages — Penguin Books ISBN 978-0-2414-5501-2

208 pages — Ebury Press ISBN 978-1-5291-9560-6

560 pages — Random House Books ISBN 978-1-8479-4623-2

OTTOLENGHI TEST KITCHEN: EXTRA GOOD THINGS — Ottolenghi —

Flexible, flavour-packed dishes that all lend a little something ‘extra’ to your next meal. It’s harissa butter on a roasted mushroom, then tossed with steamed veg or stuffed into a baked potato. It’s tamarind dressing on turmeric fried eggs, then drizzled over a steak the next day. Rounded off with a chapter on the ‘one basics’ of desserts for you to perfect and then adapt with your favourite flavour combinations. This is cooking it forward, Ottolenghi style, filling your cupboards with adaptable homemade ingredients to add some oomph to every mealtime.

256 pages — Ebury Press ISBN 978-1-5291-0947-4

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 14

17/05/2023 11:36

KACHEN3

Frëndschaft

fir ze schmaachen Realiséiert vun der KACHEN-Ekipp

I E N

: HEN C O O T SPR - IT - P LU

Dat neit Buch: elo an der Librairie De BicherKueb oder am Shop vu Luxe Taste & Style:

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb KACHEN35_Trio_Culinaire.indd 215

17/05/2023 13:58 11:36 10/05/2023

COVER STORY

SUPE R BOWL ! Spending hours on end in the kitchen is just not an option in the summer when you could be outside enjoying a leisurely aperitif with friends and soaking up the final rays of sun before dinner. But that doesn’t mean the food has to be mediocre! At KACHEN, we have the perfect solution: bowls of goodness that combine protein, carbs, fruit and vegetables. We love how easy they are to whip up, meaning you can make the most of these balmy summer evenings. What’s more, they’re tasty and bursting with colour so you’ll definitely wow your guests! Oh my bowl!

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 16

17/05/2023 11:36

COVER STORY

T E R I YA K I SA LMON B OWL Serves 2

10 minutes

For the homemade teriyaki sauce

› 3 tbsp soy sauce › 3.5 tbsp sugar (or honey)

› 2.5 tbsp water › 1 small clove of garlic, peeled and minced

› 1 tsp grated ginger or ginger powder

› 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or lemon juice)

30 minutes

For the salmon bowl

› › › › ›

150 g Thai jasmine rice 2 tsp salt 2 tbsp sunflower oil 150 g salmon fillet 100 g pre-cooked edamame › 100 g fresh baby spinach › 2 small carrots › 2 tbsp fresh chives

The sauce 1 Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and

bring to a simmer for 5–10 minutes. Allow to cool.

RECIPES & PHOTOS

of water. Season with salt and bring to a simmer on a very low heat. 2 Cook for about 20–25 minutes. If all the water is absorbed during cooking, add a couple of tablespoons of water. There should be no visible water at the surface when it’s done.* 3 In a frying pan, heat the oil on a high heat. 4 Season the salmon fillets with 1 tsp of salt and add them to the pan for 2 minutes. Then cook the other side for another 2 minutes. This way, it will be “mi-cuit”. Fry for another 2 minutes if you want it cooked all the way through. 5 In a bowl, spoon a row of rice on one side, then add the edamame, fresh spinach and sliced carrots. Put the salmon fillet on top and serve with the teriyaki sauce and fresh chives.

Paula Soryano

The salmon bowl 1 Rinse the rice (optional) and add about 250 ml

This method allows us to control the amount of water and prevent the rice from getting mushy.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 17

17/05/2023 11:36

COVER STORY

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 18

17/05/2023 11:36

COVER STORY

C R IS PY TOF U BOWL W I T H SOF T E G G Serves 2 10 minutes 35 minutes

› › › ›

150 g millet 2 tbsp mixed dried herbs 150 g firm tofu 2 tbsp flour

› › › ›

› 2 eggs › 2 tsp flax seeds › 80 g salad mix

Salt & pepper 2 tbsp oil 60 g snow peas ½ tsp salt

1 Bring the millet to a simmer in twice its

4 Boil the snow peas in 2 volumes of water

for about 6 minutes or until soft.

5 In a small saucepan, bring salted water

to the boil. Add the eggs and cook for 4–5 minutes. Serve them immediately after peeling them. 6 Put everything in a bowl, add the salad and top with the egg. Season with salt and pepper.

TIP

Snow peas can be found in most supermarkets or Asian food and grocery stores.

volume of water and cook covered on a medium heat for 18 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Fluff it with a fork, cover it again and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Mix in the dried herbs. 2 Cut the tofu into medium slices. Dry it with kitchen roll to absorb any excess water. Season the tofu with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan and add the oil. 3 In a small bowl, mix the flour and the flax seeds. Coat the tofu slices in this mixture and add them to the frying pan. Cook for 5 minutes on each side until brown.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 19

17/05/2023 11:36

COVER STORY

PR AWN & PA PAYA B OWL Serves 2

For the papaya salad

› › › › › ›

200 g papaya 1 small red pepper 5 cherry tomatoes 1 carrot 2 limes ( juice) 2 tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam) › 1 tbsp oil

15 minutes

10 minutes

For the prawn bowl

› 160 g rice › ½ tsp salt › 200 g pre-cooked › › › ›

prawns 1 tbsp oil 50 g salted peanuts 3 tbsp chilli sauce 2 tbsp fresh coriander

The papaya salad 1 Cut the papaya in half and scrape the seeds out with

a spoon. Peel and cut into small cubes.

2 Dice the red pepper and slice the tomatoes in half.

Grate the carrot. Carefully mix the vegetables and papaya in a bowl, and add the lime juice, fish sauce and oil. Set aside.

The prawn bowl 1 Bring the rice to a simmer on a low heat in about

250 ml of water and a teaspoon of salt. Cook for about 20–25 minutes. 2 Heat the oil in a small pan and cook the prawns for 5 minutes. 3 Put everything in a bowl, adding the salad last (to keep it fresh). Serve with peanuts, chilli sauce and coriander.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 20

17/05/2023 11:36

COVER STORY

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 21

17/05/2023 11:36

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 22

17/05/2023 11:36

COVER STORY

G R ILLE D C HIC K E N & MI L L E T B OW L Serves 2 20 minutes 45 minutes

› › › › ›

200 g chicken breast 4 tbsp olive oil 1 clove of garlic 1 tsp salt 1 lemon ( juice)

› › › › ›

160 g millet 6 cherry tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 small cucumber 120 g feta

1 Cut the chicken into large cubes. In a bowl,

3 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.

Thread the chicken and cherry tomatoes on skewers. Bake for approximately 25 minutes. 4 In a small pan, heat the tomato paste for a couple of minutes. Add the millet, mix well and cook for 2 minutes. 5 In a large bowl, place the cucumber slices in a row, add the feta cubes, millet and the skewers, before adding the tzatziki in a corner. Serve with fresh mint and sumac.

mix the olive oil with the crushed garlic, salt and lemon juice. Marinade the chicken cubes in this mixture for 10 minutes. (This can also be done the day before and refrigerated overnight). 2 Put the millet in a saucepan with twice its volume of water. Bring to a simmer on a medium heat, cover and cook for 18 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff it with a fork, cover it again and let it rest for 10 minutes.

› 200 ml tzatziki sauce › 2 tbsp mint › 2 tsp sumac (or paprika)

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 23

17/05/2023 11:36

COVER STORY

FA L A F E L & QUINOA B OW L Serves 2 10 minutes 20 minutes

For the hummus

› › › › ›

200 g chickpeas 1 small clove of garlic 3 tbsp olive oil 1 lemon ( juice) ½ tsp salt

For the falafel & quinoa bowl

› › › ›

120 g quinoa 6 falafels (ready-made) 2 pita breads 250 g marinated purple cabbage ( jar) › 100 g kalamata olives › Fresh coriander › Pumpkin seeds

1 Blend the chickpeas, peeled garlic,

olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a food processor. 2 Rinse the quinoa and bring it to a boil at a medium heat in twice its volume of water (240 ml). Lower the heat, cover the pan and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. 3 In a small pan, cook the falafels on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Right before serving, bake the pitas for 2 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C/160°C fan. 4 Fill half the bowl with equal portions of quinoa, hummus and cabbage. Fill the other side with the falafels and olives. Serve with chopped coriander, a handful of pumpkin seeds and the warm pita.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 24

17/05/2023 11:36

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 25

17/05/2023 11:36

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

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 26

17/05/2023 11:36

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

K IE R ME S ZOPP Serves 6 10 minutes 2 hours

› › › › › › › › › › › › › › ›

3 l water 750 g beef with marrow bones 1 leek 1 potato 2 carrots ½ kohlrabi 1 celery branch 1 onion 1 pinch black pepper 1 tsp salt 1 bay leaf 1–2 beef stock cubes 7 eggs 2 tbsp tapioca 1 bunch of parsley

RECIPE & PHOTO

vegetables, cut them into large pieces and add them to the pot. Add the pepper, salt, bay leaf and stock cubes, then cook for 90–120 minutes on a low heat. Skim off the green foam. 2 In the meantime, boil the eggs for 10 minutes, peel them and mash well with a fork. 3 When the soup has finished cooking, remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon. Add the tapioca to the beef stock and bring to a boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a whisk so that the tapioca does not clump. 4 Add the egg and season to taste. 5 Optional: dice or finely chop the meat, carrots and parsley and add to the soup.

Anne Lommel

1 Bring the water to the boil and add the beef. Peel the

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 27

17/05/2023 11:36

GRANNY’S RECIPE

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 28

17/05/2023 11:36

GRANNY’S RECIPE

“A recipe from my grandmother? No problem, I have a few — and all handwritten!” Nathalie HoffmannDondelinger tells us with a smile on her face. This creative powerwoman inherited her love of cooking from her two grandmothers. Both women taught her the basics of classic French cuisine and today she and her husband prefer fresh, seasonal food. “The ingredients are just so important!” With this in mind, she unceremoniously heads out to her vegetable garden, gets inspired, pulls up a fennel and whips up a summery pasta “alla nonna” for us. Bon appetit!

S UMME R PA S TA

WITH SALSICCIA , FENNEL & K ALE Serves 2 › › › › › ›

15 minutes

400 g salsiccia Olive oil 1/2 fennel 6–8 large leaves of kale (or 200 g spinach) 1 large shallot 4 cloves of garlic

20 minutes › › › › › ›

200 ml chicken stock 100 ml sweet or dry white wine 300–400 g orecchiette (fresh, if available) Salt & pepper Dried chilli flakes Parmesan cheese

Cut the salsiccia into small slices (1–2 cm thick) and fry them with olive oil. Remove from the pan and set aside, keeping the juices in the pan. Chop the fennel into very thin slices. Boil the kale leaves for 2–3 minutes. Take the leaves out of the pan and keep the water. 5 Chop the shallot and the garlic and fry them in the pan with the sausage juice. Add a little olive oil if necessary. 6 Add the fennel and cook until tender. 7 Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. 8 Reduce the stock and wine to 2/3 of the liquid. 9 Cook the orecchiette in the kale water according to the instructions on the packet and drain. Keep some of the cooking water. Mix with the fennel, shallots, salsiccia, garlic and stock. 10 Stir in some chilli flakes and a spoonful of the cooking water. 11 Cut the kale into small pieces and mix it in. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Salsiccia (with or without fennel), as well as fresh orecchiette are available in almost all Italian delicatessens.

RECIPE PHOTOS

TIP

Nathalie Hoffmann-Dondelinger Ramunas Astrauskas

1 2 3 4

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 29

17/05/2023 11:36

ONCE UPON A TIME...

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 30

17/05/2023 11:36

ONCE UPON A TIME...

A forester once brought his charming wife a hawthorn bush that was not only beautiful to look at, but also gave the experienced cook an idea. The result was a delicious crème brûlée that captured the spirit of the forest. This charming woman was René Mathieu’s grandmother, who shared her vegetable garden with the whole village. It was from her that the Best Vegetable Chef in the World at La Distillerie restaurant in the Château de Bourglinster inherited his love of the plant world. She was also the one who taught him about the tasty treasures that nature has to offer. Here, he shares one of these treasures with KACHEN readers.

C R È ME B RÛLÉ E

WIT H C HOCOL AT E & H AW T HOR N B LOS SOM

› 120 g light brown sugar › 2 generous handfuls of

400 ml milk 500 ml single cream 8 egg yolks 2 tbsp honey

1 Whisk the egg yolks and brown

40 minutes

hawthorn blossom

› 150 g dark chocolate

3 Pour the cream into individual

ceramic ramekins and bake in the oven at 100°C/80°C fan for 40 minutes. Leave to cool at room temperature. 4 Sprinkle with brown sugar and caramelise with a kitchen torch or under the grill before serving. Decorate with hawthorn blossom and serve immediately.

sugar in a bowl until stiff. 2 Bring the milk and cream to the boil. Add the chocolate and honey and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture and pour it carefully over the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return to the saucepan and leave to cool completely.

René Mathieu Ramunas Astrauskas

› › › ›

10 minutes

RECIPE PHOTOS

Serves 6

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 31

17/05/2023 11:36

LUXEMBOURGISH CLASSICS

POR E T T E NZ A PP M AT V IN A IG R E T T E

Traditional Luxembourgish dishes – step by step? Who better to ask than chef Carlo Sauber who has been passing on his knowledge and passion for cooking to young chefs at the Lycée Technique de Bonnevoie for nearly 30 years. And now he’ll be showing KACHEN readers how to effortlessly make Luxembourg specialties.

Serves 6 40 minutes 20 minutes

› › › ›

6 leeks (white part only) 10 g butter 2 shallots Vegetable stock

For the vinaigrette

› › › ›

50 ml wine vinegar 100 ml rapeseed oil 10 g strong mustard 2 sprigs of tarragon and chives (chopped) › 6 quail eggs For the sauce

› › › ›

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 32

100 ml sour cream 15 g horseradish (chopped) Salt Cayenne pepper

17/05/2023 11:36

LUXEMBOURGISH CLASSICS

Mash the yolk with the mustard, vinegar and oil until thick. Mix in the tarragon and chives.

Cut the leeks into 3–5 cm pieces. Arrange on the plate.

Put the sauce in the quail egg shells.

Garnish with the eggs, a few dots of horseradish and the shallots.

Mix the sour cream with the horseradish. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the shallots into quarters and bake in aluminium foil at 200°C/180°C fan for 20 minutes.

For the vinaigrette, boil the quail eggs for 3 minutes. Allow them to cool and then peel them.

Carlo Sauber Marc Dostert

Cut them in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the yolks and keep the whites.

Once the leeks are tender but firm, remove the lid and allow the remaining liquid to evaporate. Set aside to cool.

RECIPE PHOTOS

In a pan, brown the leek in butter. Fill halfway up with vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and leave to steam over a low heat.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 33

17/05/2023 11:37

MY LUXEMBOURG

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 34

17/05/2023 11:37

MY LUXEMBOURG

One of Luxembourg’s most famous national dishes is Judd mat Gaardebounen. In chef Julien Lucas’s version 2.0 (served at his Michelin-starred restaurant La Villa de Camille et Julien), it is almost unrecognisable on the plate as it looks nothing like smoked pork neck with broad beans. But it’s a different story on the taste buds as it’s exactly like the incomparable classic. Try it!

JUDD M AT G A A R DE B OUNE N › › › › ›

200 g plain flour 5 g salt 100 g butter 1 egg 50 g water

25 minutes

For the filling

› › › › › ›

50 g leek 50 g carrot 50 g white onion 50 g bacon 100 g white wine 100 g summer savory

The tartlet dough 1 Using your hands, mix the flour with the salt and

then add the butter. Add the egg and water to form a dough. Refrigerate for 1 hour and then roll out to a thickness of 2 mm. Shape the dough into a round baking tin and bake at 180°C/160°C fan for 14 minutes.

The filling 1 Cut all the vegetables and the bacon brunoise-style

For the cream of beans with bacon

› › › › › › ›

20 g white onion 10 g carrot 25 g leek 125 g fava beans 65 g bacon 25 g white wine 100 g cream

For the summer savory jelly

› 100 g summer savory › 50 g water › 3 g vegetable gelatine For the bacon tuile

› 30 g bacon

2 Sweat the fava beans with the other half of the

bacon and then add the vegetables. Deglaze with white wine, reduce and add the rest of the wine. Once cooked, drain the fava beans and remove the bacon. 3 Mix the fava beans with the infused cream and pour into a half-sphere mould and freeze. The summer savory jelly 1 Infuse the savory in water, then mix in the vegetable

gelatine and bring to the boil.

and cook them in a pan without colouring. Deglaze with white wine and cook them until soft. Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the chopped summer savory.

2 Submerge the half-sphere mould twice in the jelly

The cream of beans with bacon 1 Leave the cream to infuse with half of the bacon.

180°C/160°C fan for 6 minutes. Put another baking tray on top to prevent burning. 2 When cooked, cut into the desired shape.

The bacon tuile 1 Cut thin slices of bacon and cook in the oven at

Chop the vegetables into large chunks.

and refrigerate.

Julien Lucas Marc Dostert

For the tartlet dough

40 minutes

RECIPE PHOTOS

Serves 2

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 35

17/05/2023 11:37

RECIPE PHOTOS

S e r k a n Ya r d ı m c ı Marc Dostert

E X PAT R ECI PE

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 36

17/05/2023 11:37

E X PAT R ECI PE

If you had to describe Chef Serkan Yardımcı in three words, they would be: dedicated, ambitious and very kind. His career started early – at the tender age of 16. By 18, he was cooking in a starred restaurant in Türkiye. He has been head chef at the Turkish Embassy in Luxembourg for 13 years now, and is personally responsible for ensuring the ambassador enjoys healthy, balanced meals. Prior to this post, he held similar positions in Algeria, Iraq and Italy. He has grown fond of Luxembourg – “I’m staying here!” – and continues to follow his life-long dream to serve his country, despite countless offers from prestigious restaurants. From his repertoire of dishes, he has decided to share his Piliç Topkapı with KACHEN. And it just so happens that it’s one of the ambassador’s favourites!

PİLİÇ TOPK A PI Serves 4

25 minutes

For the chicken

› › › › ›

› › › ›

2–3 tbsp of pine nuts Olive oil 1 onion 1 glass of rice (200 ml glass) › ½ glass of currants – soaked in water for 10 minutes › ½ glass of raisins – soaked in water for 10 minutes

35 minutes

1 pinch of mixed spice 1 pinch of cinnamon 1 pinch of mahaleb 1 pinch of granulated sugar 1 glass of water (200 ml glass) › Chopped fresh mint, fresh dill & freh parsley (about 50 g each) › 4 chicken thighs, skin on › Salt

The chicken 1 Toast the pine nuts in a pan for a few

› › › › › ›

Remaining chicken bones 1 l of water Salt & black pepper 1 medium-sized onion 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp flour

6 Wrap the chicken with the rice filling and roll. 7 Wrap each piece of chicken in baking paper

and then in aluminium foil. Place them on an ovenproof tray and bake for about 35 minutes.

The sauce 1 Boil the chicken bones in 1 litre of water.

Add the salt, black pepper and chopped onion, and cook until half of the water has evaporated. 2 Drain the broth. In a separate pan, melt the butter with the flour, then add it to the chicken broth and cook the sauce until it is creamy. 3 Cut the baked chicken rolls in half and serve with the sauce.

minutes and set aside. Add the olive oil and chopped onion into the same pan and fry until the onion turns brown. 2 Add the rice and a pinch of salt, and continue toasting. Then add the currants, raisins, (no need to squeeze out the excess water), pine nuts, all spices, sugar and allow them to release their flavours. 3 Add warm water and cook over a medium heat until all the water is absorbed. Then add the fresh herbs. 4 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. 5 Remove the bones from the chicken thighs (leaving the skin on) and beat them a little until flattened.

For the sauce

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 37

17/05/2023 11:37

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

OS É

Chef Jean-Baptiste Durand used to dream of having his I was waiting for a vacancy to come up.” It was here that own restaurant. He even knew what he wanted to call his passion for cooking was born. Not particularly academic by nature, the young Durand it: Osé, which stands for “original, savoureux, équilibré” (original, tasty, balanced), and translates as “daring”. favoured practice over theory, moving from restaurant Fast forward several years, and Jean-Baptiste’s dream to restaurant and learning on the job. From luxury hotel finally came true when on 2 July 2021 – his 29th birth- “Le Burgundy Paris” in the French capital and “La Mare aux Oiseaux” in rural Loire-Atlantique, (to “Le Jardin des day – he opened Osé. Welcome to Ellange, a small village of 331 inhabit- Plumes” in Normandy and one of Florent Ladeyn’s restauants in the commune of Mondorf-les-Bains. Just a stone’s rant in Lille, Durand landed at “La Balette” in Collioure, throw from the church, a beautiful, century-old building on the Spanish border, working under its Michelin star bears a burnished metal sign. A few years ago, this was chef Frédéric Bacquié. “Here, I rediscovered the joy of the village café and restaurant. Since 2021, it has been simple food, how to focus on the ingredients.” He also fell in love here: with the region, where he’d a gourmet restaurant, run by a young like to return one day, and with Johanna, couple: Jean-Baptiste Durand in the also a catering professional, who followed kitchen and Johanna Caël front of house. “My cuisine is creative him to Luxembourg. “After nearly 15 years of working in and very much guided So, just how daring is Osé? “My cuisine Michelin-starred restaurants, I wanted by instinct. You is creative and very much guided by to open my own restaurant. My brother need a pinch of the instinct. You need a pinch of the extraorwas working in Luxembourg at the time, extraordinary in the dinary in the kitchen, to give your diners and we decided that this was something kitchen, to give your an element of surprise! We otherwise we wanted to do together. We wanted to diners an element keep things simple, with the focus firmly be near Mondorf, because it’s a lovely of surprise!” on quality, gourmet food. You want it to town with a thermal spa, the wine route, feel like a special meal, like you’re going and it’s also at the intersection of three country borders... And then we found the perfect prop- all out to impress and delight your guests...” With his erty here in Ellange.” After three months of renovation Breton chapter, Durand in particular likes to cook with work, Osé finally opened its doors just over a year after fish “because fish flesh is complex and delicate.” Precision cooking, finesse and the use of seasonal the first Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, when things were still very much uncertain. “But it didn’t prove an issue. I produce all year round: This is what has earned the young think people just wanted to get out of the house; there was chef a score of 13 in the Gault&Millau guide and a place in the Michelin Guide’s “Creative” selection. a sense of freedom in the air.” Osé offers a three-course menu (€55) and a sevenNot much remains of the old bistro, except for the tables, which have been sanded, varnished and repainted to look course tasting menu (€89), from Thursday to Sunday. as good as new. Osé’s large serving counters, mounted With the menu changing every two months, “regular on tree trunks from Durand’s brother’s garden, are from diners are constantly in for a surprise.” Do you dare to the old café’s wooden counter. Curtains now hang from embark on the Osé experience? the large windows and the main room has been repainted in fresh, light tones. Even the old bowling alley is hidden from view… “For now,” smiles the chef. OSÉ Durand, a Frenchman from the Paris area, met chef Éric Guérin ‒ “a friend of the the family” ‒ many years ago. 11, Route de Mondorf — L-5690 Ellange As a teenager, Durand worked as an apprentice in Guérin’s Tel. + 352 / 20 28 37 37 Michelin-starred restaurant “La Mare aux Oiseaux” in southern Brittany. “I considered Éric Guérin my mentor... osé.lu

TEXT PHOTOS

Marie Tissier Ramunas Astrauskas

A GOUR ME T DINING E XPE R IE NC E PUT T ING A SM A LL V ILL AG E ON T HE M A P

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 38

17/05/2023 11:37

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

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 39

17/05/2023 11:37

CAFÉ PORTRAIT

K E S S E LB E T R IB

A N A RTS C A F É IN A N INDUS T R I A L LOF T 1535° (or: “quinze-trente-cinq”) is one of the biggest creative hubs in Luxembourg. Located in Differdange, in one of the three industrial buildings that used to be the premises of steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal, Jacques Mossong’s Kesselbetrib is the coffee destination for illustrators, designers, architects, photographers, journalists and musicians. Thirty-two year old Mossong runs the 300m 2 café, which opened on 1 November 2021, on his own, and “sometimes with a bit of help.” He started the adventure with a partner, Mauro Firmente, who is now working on other projects. It is one huge café! And that’s because it’s in an industrial loft with high ceilings, sheet metal, concrete, light bulbs that seem to fall from the sky, oversized rugs (that still look too small) not to mention pallets, seats, benches, sofas, stools...Impressive decor in an immense space. An immense space that Mossong injects with the cocooning warmth of his hot drinks menu — and especially coffee. Proper coffee. The kind of coffee he discovered in Vienna “where there’s a real coffee culture.” His beans come from local roasters like Mondo del Caffè in Echternach and Feierboun in Bascharage. His bestsellers? Cappuccinos and latte macchiatos. And how about one of his homemade cakes to go with your coffee? A slice of banana bread or a cookie, perhaps? To add to the warm and friendly ambience, café-goers are invited to pick up and play one of the guitars dotted around the upper floor. There’s even a drum kit here today! Not surprising really, given the café’s neighbours are musicians: Kesselbetrib’s windows look out onto the corridors of Sonotron recording studio, another 1535° resident. And the walls? Well, they’re a blank canvas, with plenty of space for hanging artwork. Mossong organises exhibitions by local artists that “change every two to three months.” It goes without saying that Kesselbetrib is eco-friendly. The café serves its drinks in reusable cups (with a one-euro deposit). And if you bring your own cup, you’ll pay less for your coffee! If you order soup for lunch, it’ll come in a reusable ecobox. If you’re into chess, you’ll be sure to find a willing opponent here… Mossong is even thinking about organising tournaments! So… anyone for a macchiato and a game of chess?

KESSELBETRIB 115C, Rue Emile-Mark — L-4620 Differdange Tel. +352 / 691 313 719

kesselbetrib.lu

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

15_CAFE PORTRAIT_EN.indd 40

17/05/2023 13:24

TEXT PHOTOS

Marie Tissier Ramunas Astrauskas

CAFÉ PORTRAIT

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 41

17/05/2023 11:37

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 42

17/05/2023 11:37

PORTRAIT OF A CHEF

C A ROLE LE SQUE R

TEXT PHOTO

If you ask chef Carole Lesquer what makes her happy, was a taste for pepper, herbs and spices which she still uses she’ll answer you in a heartbeat: being in her kitchen. It in her culinary creations today. may sound like a simple enough pleasure, yet, as the chef The desire to constantly learn drove her to seek out a tells us, her path to this happiness – “to getting where I new challenge. This led her to Chantilly, and the kitcham today” – was a long and arduous one. After all, it’s true ens of the largest Relais & Châteaux hotel in France, run what they say: Nothing worth having comes easy. by Michelin star chef Julien Lucas. Lucas gave her carte Carole Lesquer fondly remembers the wonderful earthy blanche, which allowed her to develop her culinary idensmell of buckwheat in her Breton grandmother’s kitchen, tity and really come into her own. When he decided to and the mouth-watering apple and salted butter caramel pie open his own restaurant in Luxembourg, Carole didn’t that her grandmother used to make. “I loved making sweet hesitate to go with him. But after five months of haute pastry with her, and especially handling all the ingredi- cuisine at La Villa de Camille et Julien, it was time for her ents.” After leaving school, Carole earned a degree in Span- to move on. “I needed to take a break, to take stock and to ish and went into teaching. But, aged 25, she started having get back to my professional roots.” Winning the title of Gault & Millau’s second thoughts about her chosen career, “Pastry Chef of the Year 2021” gave and asked herself a simple question: Carole the professional credibility that, What job would actually make me happy? ironically, helped her make this move. The answer was obvious, tucked away in “The job has helped For two years, she ran not-for-profit her childhood memories of her grandme rediscover what I association Tricentenaire’s patisselove about my work and mother’s kitchen: being a pastry chef. rie (Tridoc catering service and tea a taste for the simple Certain that this was the right career room), to “simply” work as a pastry chef. things in life. All I want for her, Carole enrolled at the École During this time, she also set up her is to be happy and to Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie – the consulting business, Coup de Pousse. It make others happy too.” pastry arts school run by Alain Ducasse was through her consultancy work that and Yves Thuriès, two of the most influthe chef collaborated with the owners ential chefs in the culinary world – where of flûte alors! to create the restaurant’s she obtained her “CAP Pâtisserie” vocational qualification in patisserie and confectionery. desserts. “When they offered me the position of head chef, Carole was ambitious and determined to acquire as many I jumped at the opportunity.” skills and techniques as possible, and so continued her This would be quite the challenge for Carole, who had training, obtaining a sandwich diploma in pastry-making, never worked as a head chef before. “The job has helped followed by a BTM (state-recognised vocational certificate) me rediscover what I love about my work and a taste for the in pastry-making, chocolate-making, ice-cream-making and simple things in life. All I want is to be happy and to make catering, as well as a number of work placements in patis- others happy too.” Carole has enjoyed designing a 100% series along the way. “Those were difficult years for me, plant-based menu of inventive fruit and vegetable dishes because I found myself training and working alongside more that blur the boundaries between savoury and sweet. “My experienced students who were ten years younger than me.” cuisine is delicate and poetic, telling a story on the plate.” After six months in her new role, Carole Lesquer smiles Carole is indebted to the steadfast support of her family for as she reflects on her career as a chef: “When I’m in my helping her through this challenging period. At last, at almost 30 years old, Carole was ready to launch kitchen, there’s absolutely nowhere else in the world I’d herself into the unknown: the professional world of cater- rather be.” Quite simply. ing and “plated desserts”. Her very first experience in this realm was with two-star Michelin chef, Christophe Aribert. “Working as a pastry chef and designing the dessert menus FLÛTE ALORS ! for Christophe Aribert’s restaurants was a huge step for me.” And one that quickly proved a real shock to the system: 2, Grand-Rue — L-1660 Luxembourg “The pace was intense, extremely demanding. I learnt a lot Tel. +352 / 22 17 57 during my three years in the job but, quite frankly, it was gruelling,” she tells us. What she did get from it, though, flutealors.lu

Marion Finzi Ramunas Astrauskas

A C HE F WIT H A SMILE

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 43

17/05/2023 11:38

CHEF’S MASTER CLASS

L EMON MEL IS SA TART Serves 4–6 90 minutes 20 minutes + 3 hours

For the sweet pastry (Ø 20 cm)

› › › › › › ›

125 g butter 83 g icing sugar 35 g almond powder 2 pinches of vanilla powder 212 g plain flour A pinch of salt 42 g egg

For the almond cream

› › › › ›

50 g butter 40 g semolina sugar 50 g almond powder 50 g egg 10 g plain flour

For the lemon cream

› › › ›

190 g lemon juice 150 g egg 90 g sugar 205 g butter at room temperature

For the lemon ganache

› 125 g cream (35% fat) › 4.5 g gelatine leaves (about 2 ¼ leaves)

› 100 g white chocolate › 137 g cold cream (35%) › 37 g lemon juice For the lemon melissa gel

› 500 g lemon juice › 8 g agar agar powder › ½ bunch of lemon balm

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 44

17/05/2023 11:38

CHEF’S MASTER CLASS

SWEET PASTRY

In a food processor, or by hand with a whisk, mix the butter, icing sugar, almond powder, vanilla powder, flour and salt to a shortbread dough texture. Add the beaten egg.

Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper 2 cm wider than the size of the round tart tin. Shape the dough in the tin. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes at 160°C/140°C fan.

ALMOND CREAM

Mix the butter, sugar and almond powder in a food processor or by hand with a whisk. Slowly add the eggs until the mixture becomes whiter. Add the flour without mixing too much.

Spread the almond cream over the pre-baked pastry. Bake in the oven for another 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Allow the lemon cream to cool down to 40°C and blend with the butter using a mixer. Pour the lemon cream onto the cooled tart base. Refrigerate the tart for 1 hour.

Heat the lemon juice in a saucepan. Mix the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl, pour into the lemon juice and bring the mixture to a boil for a few minutes until it thickens.

RECIPE PHOTOS

Carole Lesquer Ramunas Astrauskas

LEMON CREAM

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 45

17/05/2023 11:38

CHEF’S MASTER CLASS

LEMON GANACHE

Soak the gelatine leaves and squeeze out any excess water. Heat the 125 g of liquid cream and add the gelatine leaves. Stir to combine. Pour over the previously melted chocolate in three batches to obtain a smooth, glossy texture.

Pour in the 137 g of liquid cream in one go followed by the lemon juice. Mix well, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

LEMON-MELISSA GEL

In a food processor or by hand with a whisk, slowly whip the ganache until stiff peaks form. Set aside in a cool place.

Heat the lemon juice, add the agar agar and bring to a boil. Chill for 1 hour until the gel has set.

DECOR ATION

Pipe dots of ganache on the tart, alternating with dots of lemon-melissa gel, and decorate with a few fresh melissa leaves.

Once cooled, mix in a blender with the melissa leaves. Pour into a pipette or piping bag.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 46

17/05/2023 11:38

16 28

My new Gourmet fruit dessert! MOUSSY with whipped quark and PEACH-PASSION FRUIT

Also available in strawberry

ekabe.lu 00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 47

17/05/2023 11:38

LOCAL & REGIONAL

SHE E P ’S MILK ICE CR E AM, FR IE D CHE E SE & CO.

It’s all go at the Conter-Ruppert family’s farm at the start of the year as it prepares to welcome its new lambs into the world. For the first three months after lambing, the animal milk bar is open exclusively to the newborn lambs, explains shepherdess Tanja Conter-Ruppert. And the 195 or so little mouths are very hungry indeed! The first milk is key to a lamb’s survival, as it helps strengthen its immune system. Milking for the farm’s own needs and products does not begin until mid to end-May, during which time the lactating mothers and their lambs spend their days together but their nights separately in two groups: adults and youngsters. Milking continues until the end of the summer, followed by an all-out milk break in the barn from October. The ewes are mated in summer, fall pregnant, and the cycle begins again.

Not all milk is the same

Sheep’s milk contains more fat and protein than milk from cows, goats and mares, and therefore has a lower water content than other types of milk. It is also a popular alternative to cow’s milk because it is more digestible for many who are lactose-intolerant. Anyone worried about sheep’s milk having a strong, ‘goaty’ taste will be pleasantly surprised: Sheep’s milk in fact tastes quite sweet, like almonds. At Bergerie An Dottësch, the milk is collected in a tank and processed on-site into natural yoghurt, fried cheese and ice cream. Fried cheese – in garlic, chilli or paprika – accounts for only a small proportion of its sheep’s milk products. The farm makes its sheep’s milk ice cream in a range of flavours, depending on the season and on keen experimenter Tanja’s

TEXT PHOTOS

Stéphanie Krischel Anne Lommel

Around 130 East Friesian milk sheep are helping to create all kinds of products in numerous flavours at “Bergerie An Dottësch” dairy farm in Weiler-la-Tour.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

17B_LOCAL PRODUCER_EN.indd 48

17/05/2023 13:25

LOCAL & REGIONAL

inspiration: caramel, rhubarb, elderflower, blackcurrant, apple, plum, strawberry... The focus is always on seasonal and (insofar as possible) local, with no added colourings or flavour enhancers. The ice cream maker explains how the properties of sheep’s milk mean that the ice cream base can be made from pure sheep’s milk, without the need for any cream.

Customers and climate

IN BL ACK & WHITE

East Friesian milk sheep have black or white woolly coats. Although the white sheep give more milk, milk from the black sheep is higher in fat.

For more information, visit bergerie-an-dottesch.lu

Bergerie An Dottësch’s milk products are labelled and packaged by hand and sold in a supermarket chain as well as locally in two farm shops. Although it has regular opening hours for its own farm shop, anyone wishing to visit the shop out of hours is welcome to call Tanja, who will be happy to open up for them, if possible. A flexible system that has proven profitable. The farm also takes its sheep’s milk products to the annual agricultural fair in Ettelbruck, every first weekend in July. The farm’s work with sheep’s milk is always changing. For one thing, tastes change. So, while mocha used to be their bestseller, Tanja says fruity flavours are currently more popular. Climate is another driver of change: The shepherdess must ensure the farm keeps pace with climate changes and adapts the way it works

accordingly. Summers are getting hotter, which means the animals prefer to stay in the barn during the day and venture out to graze at night and early morning. Bergerie An Dottësch’s sheep are just part of the family’s agricultural (primarily cow) dairy business. It would be far less work for the family not to keep sheep, but the passionate shepherdess and ice cream maker is sure there would be something important missing without them: the joy of rearing her four-legged woolly friends and the satisfaction of creating her own product.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 49

17/05/2023 11:38

MEET THE MAKERS

INF IIOR ATA Kathlyn Wohl has always loved flowers. Even in photos of her as a little girl, she’s often pictured holding flowers. She also used to love listening to her grandmother’s tips on how to plant seeds. But it never crossed her mind to study floristry. Until that is, she went to the Netherlands to (by her own admission) “half-heartedly” study at a hotel management school. “Flowers are extremely important in the Netherlands. You see them everywhere, and floristry is considered a real art. It was this artistic aspect that appealed to me.” So much so that she asked a florist working in a luxury hotel if she could work and learn alongside him. The experience cemented her desire to become a professional florist, so she dropped out of hotel management school and enrolled in Ettelbruck’s public agricultural college. After three years of training, including various work placements (notably ‘Fleurs Klopp’ in Limpertsberg), she qualified with a diploma in floristry, business and landscape gardening. “I had to do the training, but knew all along, ever since my time in Amsterdam, exactly how I wanted my business to be,” recalls the young floral artist. Kathlyn wanted to have as much artistic and creative freedom as possible, and to create original floral arrangements she could call her own. On 8 March 2021, Infiiorata slowly started to bud, getting ready to blossom. “I was trying to come up with a name for my business, and while admiring a photo in my grandmother’s living room from the flower festival in the Sicilian town of Noto – Infiorata di Noto – it came to me. I knew instantly that this was the perfect name.” For the past two years, Kathlyn has been creating floral arrangements and installations for various events and venues: from tables at private dinners (including a recent commission from the House of Dior) and weddings, to shopfronts and business premises which are adorned with her flowers every week. The first thing she does is create a moodboard for her clients, to give them a clear idea of her vision for their projects. “I have the freedom to be creative and I love that!” What she enjoys working on the most is brand design projects, because “flowers are a great way to showcase a product.” Kathlyn wants to build an Infiiorata community, to bring joy through flowers and floristry to as many people as possible. In addition, the passionate young entrepreneur offers floral workshops where she shares her passion for flowers and her artistic talent with her clients, helping them to connect with nature. Her ideas blossom with the seasons and anything else that happens to inspire her. infiiorata.com

TEXT PHOTOS

Marion Finzi Marc Dostert

F LOR IS T & A RT IS T

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 50

17/05/2023 11:38

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 51

17/05/2023 11:38

MADE IN LUXEMBOURG

SIMON LE FINANCIER

TEXT

Marion Finzi

F ROM B A N K E R TO B A K E R Before embarking on his career as a baker, Simon Loutid worked worlds away in finance. It was during a corporate internship in Turin that he started trying out recipes, making his very first cakes in his tiny studio apartment. And that was that – he had caught the baking bug! Back in Luxembourg, Simon taught himself everything he needed to know to obtain a vocational qualification in patisserie and confectionery (CAP Pâtissier). He loved spoiling his colleagues with his delicious creations, and in 2021, decided to turn his passion for baking into a full-time job and adventure. “I loved my old job as a financial controller, but there was no scope for creativity or sharing, both of which are important to me.” After plenty of playing around with recipes, Simon was ready to market three products ‒ chocolate and almond cookies, ‘financiers’ almond muffins and ‘moelleux au chocolat’ chocolate muffins ‒ under his brand name ‘Simon le Financier’ (Simon the Finance Guy). “When I decided to start baking professionally, I wanted as many people as possible to be able to enjoy my cakes, and to sell them in as many places as possible.” The young baker was keen to collaborate with sheltered workshops, to give people with disabilities an opportunity to grow and thrive in the workplace. He partnered up with one in Capellen (where his baked goods are made), and another in Dudelange (where they are packaged). “I trained the bakers myself and I’m extremely proud to see them working independently today to produce our recipes.” All Simon le Financier cakes and cookies are made using 100% natural ingredients, with no additives, and, wherever possible, local products such as Luxlait PDO butter and Moulins de Kleinbettingen flour. With his products on sale in some 15 outlets across Luxembourg, Simon is proud to have successfully brought his sweet treats to a large number of consumers. In a bid to continue satisfying his sweet-toothed customers, he is currently developing new recipes ‒ including cookies in exciting flavours like matcha tea, white chocolate and macadamia nut. “I am taking it slowly and moving at a pace that works for my production team.” Simon continues to excel in his new profession (he’s just obtained his CAP Boulangerie qualification) and hopes that his delicious cakes will be enjoyed for many years to come. His recipe for success? Passion and sharing.

simonlefinancier.com

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 52

17/05/2023 11:38

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 53

17/05/2023 11:38

SUMME R PA RT Y Feel like hosting an aperitif and barbecue, with minimum effort but maximum effect? Together with our partner DELHAIZE, we’ve come up with some quick and easy ideas! Choose from three completely different apéro combos, and then decide on whether it’s going to be a 100% veggie barbecue with plant-based sausages and burgers or a tender Irish tomahawk steak for meat lovers. Find everything at DELHAIZE. Good vibes and pure indulgence guaranteed!

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 54

17/05/2023 11:38

SEASONAL MENU

ME DIT E R R A NE A N A PPE T IZE R S From left to right:

› › › › › › ›

Delhaize apéro salami Delhaize apéro anchovies Delhaize apéro Serrano ham Delhaize apéro green olives Delhaize apéro black olive tapenade Delhaize apéro black olives Puff pastry sun wheel with Delhaize tomato pesto (recipe, see page 57)

V EGG IE A PPE T IZE R S At the top:

› Homemade sweet potato crisps (recipe, see page 58)

In the middle:

› › › › › ›

Delhaize apéro veggie sticks Delhaize apéro veggie chips Delhaize apéro roasted artichoke hearts Delhaize apéro aïoli Delhaize apéro cheese cubes Delhaize apéro guacamole

MIDDLE E AS T E R N A PPE T IZE R S From left to right:

Delhaize apéro red beet puree Delhaize apéro babaganoush Delhaize apéro muhammara Delhaize apéro hummus with herbs Delhaize apéro falafel with tomatoes Homemade flat bread (recipe, see page 60)

› › › › › ›

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 55

17/05/2023 11:39

RECIPES PHOTOS

Bibi Wintersdorf Enia Haeck & Marc Dostert

SEASONAL MENU

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 56

17/05/2023 11:39

SEASONAL MENU

PUF F PA S T RY TA R T WIT H TOM ATO PE S TO

1 tart

10 minutes

30 minutes

› 2 sheets of ready-made

› 1 jar of red pesto made

› 1 egg (beaten) › Sesame seeds

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/

4 Cut “rays” in the double pastry

6 Brush the tart with the egg wash

DELHAIZE puff pastry

sheet (this is best done with a pizza wheel), leaving a circle of approx. 5 cm in the middle (do not cut). 5 Twist each of the dough strips around twice.

and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. 7 Bake for approx. 30 minutes according to the instructions on the package.

180°C fan. 2 Unroll the first pastry sheet and spread with the tomato pesto. 3 Cover with the second pastry sheet and press together lightly at the edges.

from sun-dried tomatoes

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 57

17/05/2023 11:39

SEASONAL MENU

SWE E T P OTATO

C R IS PS

Serves 4

1 Preheat the oven to 140°C/ 120°C fan. Line a baking

tray with parchment paper.

10 minutes

2 Peel the sweet potatoes and then cut them into very

20 minutes

thin slices with a mandolin.

3 Add the sweet potato slices to a bowl, and toss them

with a drizzle of olive oil.

layer, each slice touching the next.

5 Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until they look

all wrinkled up and are well dehydrated.

› 2 medium sweet potatoes › 1 tbsp olive oil › 1 tsp salt

4 Arrange the slices on the baking tray in a single

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 58

17/05/2023 11:39

BOWL 57 Plancha BBQ & accessories provided by Höfats. Discover more on hofats.com

SEASONAL MENU

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 59

17/05/2023 11:40

E ASY HOME M A DE

F L AT B R E A D 10 flatbreads › 300 ml lukewarm water (approx. 40° C ) › 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast › 1 tbsp sugar › 200 g plain yoghurt

1 In a large mixing bowl whisk

› › › › ›

20 minutes

2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp salt ½ tbsp dried basil ½ tbsp dried oregano 1 tsp garlic powder

Coat with flour and knead for a couple of minutes (use more flour as you knead). 4 Cut the dough into 10 equal pieces and shape each piece into a small ball. Lightly sprinkle each dough ball with flour. Cover them with a kitchen towel and leave to stand for 15 minutes. 5 Preheat a frying pan with some oil over medium-low heat. Take one of the dough balls and, using a rolling pin, roll it out to about a 18-cm circle.

› 500 g all-purpose flour plus extra for kneading

› 20 g chopped fresh parsley › Olive oil for brushing

6 Place the rolled out dough in

the pan and cook until the top is covered with bubbles. While frying, brush the upper side of the flatbread with olive oil. Flip the flatbread and cook for 1 more minute, or until golden. Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate. Keep it covered with a kitchen towel while working with the rest of the dough. Repeat the process with the remaining balls of dough. Serve warm or cold.

together the water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 8 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Whisk in the yoghurt, olive oil, salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder. 2 Add the flour and parsley, and stir everything together with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together (the dough will be very sticky). 3 Generously sprinkle flour over your work surface and turn the dough onto the floured surface.

30 minutes

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 60

17/05/2023 11:40

kachen21

GMO-free* No artificial colours and flavours organic, fair & regional kachen210x270_BIOG.indd 3 00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 61

* according to EU Organic Regulation

H C E L R E I T NA I N U O

10.05.23 15:31 17/05/2023 11:40

BSH Group is a Trademark Licensee of Siemens AG.

new iQ700

oven

Full control over the entire roasting process roastingSensor Plus: Best roasting results - easier than ever before. Are you worried that your roast won’t turn out perfectly in the oven? Whether you’re cooking meat, poultry or fish, the roastingSensor Plus measures the core temperature of your food at three different points, guaranteeing juicy and crispy results. You can always keep an eye on the remaining roasting time via the Home Connect app. All you have to do is connect your oven to your existing Home Connect account.

Siemens Home Appliances

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 62 KACHEN_35_BSH_SIEMENS_ALL.indd 5

17/05/2023 15/05/2023 11:40 11:55

2023 11:55

– Advertorial –

Baked trout with roasted almonds

Serves 4 4 fresh trouts

2 organic lemons

150 g slivered almonds

50 g of thyme

salt

150 g butter

4 sprigs of parsley

pepper

olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan assisted). 2. Wash the herbs and slice the lemons. 3. Rinse the trouts in fresh water and pat dry with paper towels. Season them with salt and pepper on the inside and fill them with the herbs and lemon slices. Place in an ovenproof dish (or baking tray) and drizzle with olive oil. 4. Once the oven is hot, insert the cooking probe into the head of the largest trout and set the temperature to 65°C (alternative setting without probe: 190°C fan heat for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the trouts). 5. Brown the slivered almonds in a pan. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove the trouts from the oven, sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with melted butter. 6. Serve with steamed potatoes or vegetables on the side. siemens-home.bsh-group.com/lu/fr

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 63

17/05/2023 11:40

TEXT

Oliver Zelt

F E AT U R E

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 64

17/05/2023 11:40

F E AT U R E

T HE R AW T RU T H When we think of raw food, we think of crunchy carrot sticks and sliced bell peppers. But there’s far more to raw food than peeling and cutting vegetables. Here, we take a closer look at raw food trends past and present as well as processing techniques.

It is the epitome of pure, rustic raw food: the Mettigel. Raw minced pork, shaped to look like a hedgehog, with raw onion spikes. A firm favourite on the 1970s buffet table, this fun party centrepiece doesn’t exactly scream “healthy nutrition”. Yet, ground pork and beef tartare are just raw foods – too – no different to air-dried salami, ham or carpaccio. Thanks to sushi and sashimi, raw, unprocessed fish is becoming increasingly popular, as are mussels eaten fresh from their shells and tartares made with crustaceans like lobster or crab. When most people think of raw food, they think of fruit and vegetables. But there is no nutritional definition of what is or isn’t “raw food”. One common misconception is that it is exclusively vegetarian or vegan. Raw food is not just raw vegetables, nor is it necessarily always the opposite of cooked food. That’s because not all raw food is served in its original state. Many things are dried, pickled or fermented – all processing techniques commonly used in kitchens long before the arrival of fridges and freezers. These techniques have enjoyed a revival in recent years, especially in the world of haute cuisine, and are now used as the basis for regional culinary creations and new taste sensations.

BACK TO NATURE

Raw foodists had long been mocked for their diet of grated carrots and apple slices – a diet that had always had associations with self-denial. In fact, it was monks who were the first to adopt this diet, eating only raw food to affirm their dedication to purity through asceticism and abstinence. Today, the raw food movement is

It was in the 1980s that the trend for raw fruit and vegetables – known as the raw food movement – began to gather momentum. What up until then had been no more than a pretty garnish for meat-based dishes, found itself the focus of a delicious and revitalising health-conscious diet that people were simply raving about.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 65

17/05/2023 11:40

F E AT U R E

predominantly associated with a desire to get back to nature and consume less meat. Followers of the classic raw food diet eat only fruit, vegetables and grains. The most ardent raw foodists are strictly against even the slightest use of artificial heat to prepare their food. Most, however, permit heated food in their diet: Protein structures and valuable enzymes only start to denature at 42°C, whereupon the food loses much of its health benefits.

VITAMINS, FIBRES AND TR ACE ELEMENTS

Like many trends that sweep the globe through social media, the raw vegan diet originated in the USA. It is a diet that revolves around a certain lifestyle and, above all, mindful eating. Raw foodies who follow this diet not only want to live a healthy lifestyle, but also an aesthet-

ically pleasing lifestyle. They want to wow their online fan communities with colourful, eye-catching dishes and snacks, drawing on the full range of plant-based foods, including fruit, vegetables, seeds, shoots and roots, herbs and edible flowers. A plant-based diet is not a brightly coloured fountain of miracles, but it does provide a plethora of vitamins, fibres and trace elements, many of which, like vitamin C, are otherwise partially lost during cooking. Other healthy ingredients are better absorbed only after cooking, such as the carotenoids from carrots, which are essential for the immune system, and fat-soluble vitamins from green vegetables. Probably the most serious disadvantage of a raw food diet is that some food can be quite poisonous when eaten raw. This is because plants protect themselves from predators with defence substances that humans have trouble digesting. Beans, for instance, contain lectins that can lead to indigestion and stomach pain if the beans are not first boiled for at least ten minutes. Both aubergines and potatoes, which contain the mildly toxic glycoalkaloid solanine, can also cause stomach and intestinal problems if eaten raw, and should therefore also be boiled. Even rhubarb, which looks so beautifully bright red, is noxious when freshly picked; not to mention its sour, vinegary taste! The oxalic acid found in rhubarb can lead to poisoning. What’s more, many nutritionists point out that a strictly vegan raw food diet may cause deficiencies due to the lack of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins D and B, iron and zinc in the follower’s diet.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 66

17/05/2023 11:40

F E AT U R E

R AW B U T PROC E S S E D?

LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT R AW FOOD PROCESSING TECHNIQUES

Drying

Marinating, pickling, curing

Soaking

Fermenting

Drying is an ancient method of preserving food. It is a technique often used in fine dining to create different consistencies and textures: Think vegetable crisps, sundried tomatoes and dried apple rings. Drying is done in the oven at 50°C, with the door left ajar to allow the moisture to escape. Special dehydrators can also be used at lower temperatures.

Vegetables in particular, but also herbs, are placed in a water and salt solution and left to ferment slowly at room temperature. This helps preserve the nutrients and produce lactic acid bacteria which promotes healthy intestinal flora. Probably the best-known example of fermented raw food is sauerkraut.

Soaking is a processing technique that is used especially for cereals and pre-dried vegetables such as yellow split peas, lentils and chickpeas. These foods are soaked in water for at least ten hours, with the water changed several times. The soaked raw food can then be eaten without the need to cook it.

Curing is when raw food is soaked in salt water or rubbed with salt which helps preserve it for longer. Pickling, on the other hand, involves rubbing the raw food with a mix of salt and spices to dry it slightly, while marinating involves soaking the raw food in a mildly acidic liquid with spices.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 67

17/05/2023 11:40

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 68

17/05/2023 11:40

F E AT U R E

Bertrand from L’Atelier de Cuisine in Strassen shares some of his raw dishes in this issue of KACHEN. Join him on a short voyage of discovery full of delicious and refreshing recipe ideas!

In collaboration with

G R E E N G A Z PAC HO 2 handfuls of spinach leaves 1 clove of garlic ¼ cucumber (deseeded) ¼ cup of seedless chilli 10 mint leaves 10 flat parsley leaves 10 basil leaves 1 ripe avocado

› 2 spring onions › 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt › 2 tbsp creamy coconut milk › › › ›

(86% coconut extract) 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp lime juice 500 ml mineral water Bertrand’s salt* & smoked pepper

1 Blend all the ingredients in a food processor, adding

the water gradually.

To garnish

› 3 yellow cherry tomatoes › 10 slices of radish › 1 tbsp of pomegranate seeds

2 Pour into a bowl and garnish with the toppings.

Bertrand Duchamps Ramunas Astrauskas

› › › › › › › ›

20 minutes

RECIPES PHOTOS

Serves 2

* Available at L’Atelier de Cuisine Bertrand.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 69

17/05/2023 11:40

F E AT U R E

In collaboration with

B E E F C A R PACC IO WIT H SMOK E D SOY SAUC E & PE A NUTS

Serves 2 20 minutes 1 hour in the fridge

› › › › ›

250 g beef fillet (or twin) 1 shallot 4 gherkins 1 tbsp capers (with tails) 4 tbsp local organic walnut oil (André Zewen from Fouhren) › 2 tbsp smoked soy sauce* › 4 turns of smoked Tellicherry pepper* › 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar To garnish

› 2 tbsp peanuts › 2 spring onions › Pink berries from Madagascar

1 Dice the shallot and pickles. 2 Thinly slice the beef (flatten between 2 sheets of

180°C/160°C fan. Slice the spring onions.

4 Just before serving, sprinkle with the peanuts,

pink berries and spring onions.

baking paper as with carpaccio), and mix with all the ingredients (except the garnish ingredients). Refrigerate for at least one hour.

3 Roast the peanuts in the oven for 10 minutes at

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 70

17/05/2023 11:40

In collaboration with

F E AT U R E

PR AW N , TA R R AG O N & S A K E

C E V IC HE Serves 2 25 minutes 2 hours in the fridge

› › › › › › › › › › ›

10 large wild prawns 1 lime ( juice and zest) 2 cm fresh ginger ¼ red onion 5 cm celery stalk 5 sprigs of coriander ½ red pepper 1 tsp local honey (or maple syrup) ½ tbsp dried tarragon 2 tbsp Junmai sake Bertrand’s salt* & freshly ground pepper

To garnish

› › › ›

½ bunch of watercress A few roasted corn kernels Stalked celery leaves Slices of red onion

1 Chop the ginger, dice the red

onion, and finely chop the celery.

2 Peel and halve the prawns. 3 Mix all the ingredients with

the prawns.

4 Refrigerate for two hours. 5 When ready to serve, garnish with

watercress leaves, stalked celery leaves, red onion rings and a few roasted corn kernels.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 71

17/05/2023 11:40

F E AT U R E

In collaboration with

“C HOCO PUR E ”

OR A NG E & PIS TAC HIO T RUF F LE S

15 pieces 20 minutes 1 hour in the fridge

› › › › › › ›

300 g Medjoul dates (pitted) 1 organic orange 1 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tsp grated fresh ginger 2 tbsp fresh orange juice 1 pinch of fleur de sel 50 g pistachios

1 Roast the pistachios in the oven

for 10 minutes at 180°C/160°C fan. Allow them to cool, then crush them lightly. Set aside. 2 Zest the orange and grate the fresh ginger. Blend all the ingredients (except the pistachios) to a smooth, paste-like consistency and refrigerate for at least one hour. 3 With wet hands, shape the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball in the crushed pistachios.

Plates: SIEGER by FÜRSTENBERG

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 72

17/05/2023 11:40

AEG_KAC

GET KITCHEN DESIGN FREEDOM WITH A COMBINED HOB AND EXTRACTOR AEG.LU 00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb AEG_KACHEN35_PUB.indd 1 73

17/05/2023 16:39 11:40 03/05/2023

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 74

17/05/2023 11:40

SUMME R PIC NIC G R E E N S , S T R AW B E R RY & W HOL E W H E AT S A L A D Serves 2 15 minutes 10 minutes

› › › › › › › › › › ›

120 g whole wheat (pre-cooked) 100 g strawberries 1 small cucumber 100 g green peas 1 spring onion 50 g fresh spinach leaves A handful of mint leaves Salt & pepper 2 tbsp olive oil ½ lemon, juice Grilled crushed hazelnuts

1 For the wheat: if pre-cooked,

cook for about 10 minutes in 2.5 times its volume in salted water. If raw, cooking will take about 45–60 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain any excess water, and fluff gently with a fork. Leave to cool. 2 Cut the strawberries in half. Slice the cucumber and blanch the fresh green peas for about 5 minutes in salted water. Thinly slice the spring onion. 3 Put everything in a bowl and mix with the spinach leaves, mint leaves, salt, pepper, olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Serve with the crushed hazelnuts.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

22_PICNIC_EN.indd 75

17/05/2023 13:59

RECIPE & PHOTOS

Paula Soryano

SUMMER PICNIC

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 76

17/05/2023 11:41

SUMMER PICNIC

T R IO OF DIPS & V E G G IE PL AT T E R

F E TA C HE E S E DIP WIT H R E D PE PPE R Serves 4 5 minutes

AUB E RG INE C AV I A R WIT H YOG HURT Serves 4 5 minutes

› › › ›

200 g feta (drained) 1 plain yoghurt 4 tbsp milk 1 jar of grilled peppers in oil (120 g)

1 In a bowl, crush the feta with a

Serves 4 5 minutes › › › ›

1 medium aubergine 120 g Greek yoghurt 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil

1 Put the aubergine on an oven

tray with salt on the tray. Bake at 200°C/180°C fan for 30–40 minutes, turning it halfway through. When cooked, remove the skin by cutting it in half and scraping out the flesh with a spoon. 2 Mix the braised aubergine with a fork, add the Greek yoghurt, salt and olive oil and mix well. 3 Serve with red peppers, tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, salad leaves, broccoli, breadsticks and baguette.

› › › › › ›

1 can of cannellini beans (200 g) 2 tbsp neutral oil ½ lemon, juice 2 tsp salt 1 spring onion 2 tsp paprika

1 Put the beans, oil, lemon juice and

salt in a bowl. Chop the spring onion and add. Mix well with a blender and sprinkle with paprika before serving.

fork. Add the yoghurt, milk and the drained peppers. Mix with a hand blender for a couple of minutes until smooth.

40 minutes

C A NNE LLINI B E A N & S PR ING ONION HUMMUS

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 77

17/05/2023 11:41

SUMMER PICNIC

H A M , M A R I N AT E D V E G G I E S & G OAT ’S C H E E S E S A N DW IC H E S

Serves 2 10 minutes 10 minutes

› › › › › › › ›

1 small courgette 1 medium pepper 4 tbsp olive oil Salt ½ lemon, juice 1 large baguette 120 g fresh goat’s cheese 150 g ham (Parma or similar)

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/

160°C fan. For the marinated vegetables: slice the courgette with a mandolin, cut the pepper into small pieces and place on a lined baking tray. Bake for 10–15 minutes (if the courgette starts to burn, take it out of the oven before the pepper). 2 Once cooked, place them in a mixture of olive oil, salt and lemon juice for a couple of hours (or overnight). Cut the baguette in half. Spread the goat’s cheese on each half and top with the ham and marinated vegetables.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 78

17/05/2023 11:41

R AS PB E R RY YOG HURT C A K E Serves 4 › 150 g plain yoghurt › 3 eggs › 120 g sugar

› 260 g plain flour › 1 pack of baking

powder (about 5 g)

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C

fan. Pour the yoghurt into a large bowl then add the eggs and sugar. Mix well. 2 Mix the flour and baking powder separately and add to the eggs and sugar. Add the oil and vanilla. Then add the raspberries.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 79

35–50 minutes

20 minutes

› 70 ml neutral oil › 1 tsp vanilla aroma › 200 g raspberries

3 Pour the dough into a hinged

springform mould 20 cm in diameter (previously greased and sprinkled with flour). 4 Bake for about 50 minutes (if a knife comes out clean, it’s done).

17/05/2023 11:41

SUMMER PICNIC

PE AC H MOC K TA I L

MO J I TO MOC K TA I L

Serves 1 10 minutes

Serves 1 10 minutes › › › › ›

50 ml peach juice ½ grapefruit, juice ¼ lemon, juice Ice (for cooling only) Rosemary or a slice of grapefruit

1 Place all the ingredients (including the ice)

4 large mint leaves 1 tbsp (15 g) passionfruit pulp 1 tbsp brown sugar ½ lime, juice Ice cubes or crushed ice 120 ml sparkling water

1 Combine the mint leaves, passionfruit pulp,

sugar and lime juice in a glass and muddle together with a spoon. 2 Fill the glass with (crushed) ice, then top up with sparkling water. 3 Garnish with sprigs of mint and lime wedges.

in a shaker and stir well. Pour the mixture into a glass. 2 The ice is used to cool the drink and does not go in the glass. Garnish with rosemary or a slice of grapefruit.

› › › › › ›

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 80

17/05/2023 11:41

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 81

17/05/2023 11:41

NE W

B R E A K FAS T WIT H T HE A MBAS SA DOR We have come up with something very special and all the partners we have spoken to so far are thrilled. What could be better than coming together and sharing a typical meal? We are pleased to announce the first event in our series “Breakfast with the Ambassador”. On 17 June, from 10am to 12pm, in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy and at the personal invitation of H.E. Ambassador Matsubara Tadahiro of Japan, a typical Japanese breakfast will be held for 15 KACHEN readers to attend. Tomohisa MITSUHASHI, the embassy’s chef, gives the guests a short introduction to Japanese cuisine before serving up some specialties.

Don’t miss the announcement on our website, in our newsletter and on social media. Registration is on a first-come first-served basis. The location of the event will be shared with the lucky participants. A truly exclusive occasion to get to know a country and its cuisine! More embassies have already confirmed their participation and we’ll be announcing the next events soon, so stay tuned! kachen.lu

22B_EMBASSY KACHEN CLUB_EN.indd 82

17/05/2023 13:22

PA RTNE R R ECI PE

SA LMON TA R TA R E

WIT H AVOC A DO & QUA R K SA L SA

Serves 2 20 minutes

For the salmon tartare

› › › › › ›

150 g salmon (sashimi quality), diced 1 spring onion, cut into rings 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp Mirin ½ tsp sesame oil ½ lime, juice & zest

For the quark salsa

› 250 g LUXLAIT fromage blanc › › › › ›

à la crème 2 avocados ½ lime, juice & zest Chives Dill Salt & pepper

1 In a salad bowl, mix the diced

salmon, spring onion, soy sauce, Mirin and sesame oil. Season with pepper. Mix and leave to marinate in the fridge for one hour. 2 Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Remove the flesh from one avocado and place in a bowl. Mash the flesh with a fork and mix with the quark, lime zest and juice, chopped herbs and a little salt and pepper. 3 Place the other avocado halves on a plate and fill them with a spoonful of salmon tartare. Serve immediately with the avocado and white cheese herb sauce on the side.

For more Luxlait recipes, visit luxlait.lu

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 83

17/05/2023 11:41

SE A SONA L V EGE TA B L E

5 FAC TS A BOUT

PE PPE R S & C HILLI S H E A LT H - B OOS T E R S SW E E T O R S PI C Y

An initiative of the Luxembourgish Government in the framework of the plan “Gesond iessen, Méi beweegen”. More infos: gimb.public.lu

Originally, all types of pepper that Columbus brought to Europe from South America were hot. It wasn’t until around 1950 that the Hungarians grew the first sweet peppers, which today come in all colours and do not contain capsaicin (what causes the “heat”). Capsaicin levels have been measured on the Scoville scale since 1912. The scale ranges from 0 (bell peppers) to the Guinness World Record-holding “Carolina Reaper”, peaking at 2.4 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

G R OW YOU R OW N !

WHEN THE GOING G E T S ( TOO) H O T

B U Y I N G & S TO R I N G Fresh peppers should have firm, shiny, smooth skin, as well as a vibrant colour and a fresh-looking green stem. They should be stored at 8–10°C in a cool (but not cold), dark place, so don’t put them in the fridge. Washed and seeded, they freeze well or can be pickled in salted water, oil, vinegar or lactic acid.

As healthy as capsaicin can be, it’s important not to overdo it with the spiciness. Too spicy and it can cause dizziness, nausea and circulatory problems, and even damage the food pipe. If it’s too hot to handle, don’t reach for the water! Milk, coconut milk or yoghurt will help, as will rice or bread. You could also try a high-proof alcohol like vodka, but stay away from beer. White toothpaste works well to soothe the skin.

Whether you decide to grow your own peppers in a greenhouse or plant pepper starts outdoors after the threat of frost has passed, with loose, humus-rich soil, enough space and water, you will have a great harvest by the end of October. It is important that the temperature is around 19°C during its flowering season (June). Just remember this: bell peppers can also produce capsaicin if they get too much heat or too little water.

Peppers are a big shot of vitamin C, with a high dose of beta-carotene, vitamin E, potassium and other vitamins. The amount of vitamins and minerals depends on the colour of the peppers. Red peppers are the most interesting in terms of vitamin C content, while yellow peppers are the richest in beta-carotene. Vitamin C helps to strengthen the immune system and reduce inflammation. Peppers and chillis are rich in water and low in carbohydrates and can be eaten without problems by diabetics. Capsaicin is effective against back pain and rheumatism and can be found in ABC heat plasters, for instance.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 84

17/05/2023 11:41

ROAS T E D

PE PPE R B RUS C H E T TA 12 bruschette › › › ›

3 red peppers 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp agave syrup Salt

10 minutes

25 minutes › › › ›

Pepper 12 slices of baguette 2 cloves of garlic 20 g sliced almonds

1 Preheat the grill in your oven to 220°C. 2 Put the red peppers into an oven-proof dish and grill for about 10 minutes on

each side until black bubbles appear. Immediately put them into a plastic zip lock bag and leave them to cool for 15 minutes. 3 Take the grilled red peppers out of the plastic bag and peel off the skin. Cut them into thin slices and drizzle with olive oil and agave syrup. Season with salt and pepper. 4 Toast the baguette slices in a toaster or in the oven. Cut the garlic cloves in half and rub over the toasted baguette slices with the cut edge. 5 Evenly distribute the roasted peppers on the baguette slices and top with sliced almonds. For extra flavour, toast the almonds in a pan beforehand.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 85

17/05/2023 11:42

SE A SONA L V EGE TA B L E

ROAS T E D

PE PPE R S OUP Serves 4 5 minutes 45 minutes

› › › › › › ›

4 red peppers 300 g cherry tomatoes 1 garlic bulb 2 tbsp olive oil Salt Pepper 75 ml cream or soy/oat cream › Fresh basil

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan. 2 Roughly cut the red peppers and remove the

seeds. Cut the whole garlic bulb in half and put it into an ovenproof dish with the cut side facing down. Add the red pepper and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and mix well. 3 Roast in the oven for 45 minutes. 4 Let the vegetables cool slightly and remove the skin from the red peppers. (Optional: save some of the roasted peppers as a topping for the soup). Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the skin and put all the vegetables, along with the cream (or a cream alternative), into a food processor. Mix until smooth and season with salt and pepper. 5 Garnish with fresh basil and sliced roasted red peppers.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 86

17/05/2023 11:42

GREEK PE PPE R S A L A D

alternative

› 60 g Kalamata olives

› › › › ›

100 g cherry tomatoes 2 stalks of fresh mint 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp ground cumin

1 Cut the bell peppers, cucumber and feta cheese into

½ tsp ground coriander ½ tsp paprika Salt Pepper

2 Finely chop the fresh mint and add to the bowl.

Drizzle with olive oil and the lemon juice, and season with all the spices, salt and pepper.

small cubes. Halve the olives and cherry tomatoes. Put all the ingredients into a bowl.

› › › ›

Liz Sinner

› 2 peppers › 100 g cucumber › 40 g feta cheese or vegan feta

15 minutes

RECIPES & PHOTOS

Serves 4

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 87

17/05/2023 11:42

SE A SONA L V EGE TA B L E

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 88

17/05/2023 11:43

SE A SONA L V EGE TA B L E

R E D PE PPE R C HIPOT LE TACOS WIT H G R E E N SA L SA Serves 4

20 minutes

For the salsa

› › › › › › › › ›

4 cloves of garlic 30 g fresh coriander 60 ml olive oil 1 green chilli pepper (optional)) 1 green pepper 125 g sweetcorn ½ lime ( juice) Salt Pepper

The salsa 1 For the green salsa, blitz the

For the tacos

› › › › › › › › ›

4 peppers 1 red onion 4 cloves of garlic 1 tbsp oil 2 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp paprika powder 1 tsp ground cumin 4 tbsp chipotle sauce Salt

The tacos 1 Thinly slice the red peppers and

red onion. Finely chop the garlic. 2 Add some vegetable oil to a pan and fry the sliced red onion on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper slices, and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the herbs, spices and the chipotle sauce, and fry for a further 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

› Pepper › 12 small corn tortillas (15 cm) › 125 g sour cream or vegan alternative

3 Heat the tortillas in a pan or in

the microwave. Spread some sour cream on them, add some red peppers, and top with the green salsa.

garlic, coriander and olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Cut the green peppers and chilli pepper into very small cubes. Drain the sweetcorn. Add the diced green peppers, chilli pepper and sweetcorn to the coriander mixture and give it a good stir. Season with lime juice, salt and pepper.

10 minutes

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 89

17/05/2023 11:43

SE A SONA L V EGE TA B L E

PE A N U T UDON NOODL E S WIT H R E D PE PPE R S Serves 2 10 minutes 10 minutes

For the peanut sauce

› 15 g smooth peanut › › › › › ›

The sauce 1 For the peanut sauce, mix all the ingredients in a

small bowl until smooth.

The noodles 1 Finely chop the garlic and fresh ginger. Cut the spring

onions and red peppers into very thin sticks.

butter 1 tbsp sesame oil 30 ml soy sauce 30 g coconut milk 1 tsp bean paste in chilli oil 2 tbsp cold water 1 squeeze of lime juice

For the noodles

› › › › ›

3 garlic cloves 15 g fresh ginger 2 spring onions 2 red peppers 400 g cooked udon noodles › Salt › Pepper › 40 g unsalted peanuts

3 Add the udon noodles with a splash of water and

simmer for one minute.

4 Pour the sauce over the udon noodles and simmer for

2 more minutes, stirring continuously. Season with salt and pepper. 5 Garnish with chopped peanuts and spring onion.

2 Heat some sesame oil in a pan and fry the spring

onion for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and red peppers, and fry on a medium heat for 5 minutes.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 90

17/05/2023 11:43

PA RTNE R R ECI PE

COUSCOUS

T H E QU I C K & E A SY ME N U BY DE L H A IZ E Serves 3‒4 30 minutes 20 minutes

By Delhaize

› › › › › › ›

1 courgette 1 aubergine 1 yellow onion 1 red pepper 2 cloves of garlic 1 pack of couscous 1 pack of mixed raisins and apricots › 1 sachet of sauce › 1 sachet with mixed herbs and spices Additional ingredients

› 3 tbsp (olive) oil › approx. 450 ml water › 300 g minced beef

1 Wash the vegetables. Cut the courgette,

3 Pour the couscous into a bowl, add 250 ml

boiling water and 1 tbsp (olive) oil. Cover immediately with a lid or cling film and leave for 10 minutes. 4 Pour the sauce into the pan and mix it with the couscous. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes on a low heat.

For more Delhaize recipes, visit delhaize.lu

aubergine and pepper into large pieces. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Finely chop the apricots. 2 Cook the minced beef in a large frying pan with 2 tbsp of (olive) oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the herb and spice mixture to the pan and stir. Add the vegetables, raisins and apricots. Pour 200 ml of water into the pan, cover and cook over a medium heat for 12 minutes.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 91

17/05/2023 11:43

SEASONAL FRUIT

5 FAC TS A BOUT

B L AC K B E R R IE S An initiative of the Luxembourgish Government in the framework of the plan “Gesond iessen, Méi beweegen”. More infos: gimb.public.lu

PI O N E E R S OF THE WILD In woods and forests, blackberry bushes are pioneer plants that protect the microclimate, sometimes climbing up to five metres high in trees. In the garden, they thrive best in a sunny spot, sheltered from the wind. The more bushes that are planted, the higher the yield will be, but don’t forget that the plants do like to spread out far and wide. In May, they become an excellent pasture for bees.

B E R RY S T R O N G Blackberries are extremely high in vitamin C and manganese, both of which are powerful antioxidants. They are rich in dietary fibre, which is good for digestion. Blackberry leaf tea can relieve inflammation in the mouth and throat and is effective for treating diarrhea.

T H E G A R DE N E R ’S N E ME S I S

A N A L L- R OU N D G OO D B E R RY

H A RV E S T I NG , S E L E C T I NG & S TOR I NG Blackberries are in peak season from June to the end of August. They will be ripe and sweet (with a glycemic index of just 25) only when they are easy to pick from the plant. When buying blackberries, check the colour, which should be dark purple. Red or paler purple fruit may still ripen once picked, but will not get any sweeter. Wash just before serving and consume within about 24 hours.

When berries do not fully ripen, the blackberry mite is often to blame. These tiny mites hatch from eggs on the underside of the plant’s leaves and feed on the developing drupelets, injecting an enzyme during the feeding process, and thereby preventing ripening. The best way to resolve the problem is to cut severely infested bushes down to ground level in late winter. It will then take a year for the bush to crop again, but the plant will be health.

Whether enjoyed fresh or used to make jams, juices, smoothies, cakes, ice creams or liqueurs, if the fruits have been picked at the right time, they promise a real explosion of flavour. If you want to freeze them, it’s best to place them in the freezer on a tray and only put them in a bag once they are frozen.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 92

17/05/2023 11:43

SEASONAL FRUIT

WINE RECOMMENDATIONS

B L AC K B E R RYB A S I L S PR I T Z E R Serves 1 5 minutes

› › › › › ›

5–7 fresh blackberries Ice cubes 20 ml blackberry syrup 100 ml prosecco 60 ml sparkling water 2 stalks of fresh basil

1 Put the fresh blackberries and

a few ice cubes into a glass.

2 Add the blackberry syrup,

prosecco and sparkling water. Garnish with 1–2 stalks of fresh basil.

WINE PAIRING

Thill’s Brut Crémant de Luxembourg Domaine Thill

RECIPES & PHOTOS

For an extra cold drink, freeze the blackberries for 2 hours before using.

Liz Sinner

TIP

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

24_SEASONAL FRUIT_EN.indd 93

17/05/2023 12:45

SEASONAL FRUIT

B L AC K B E R RY E TON ME S S Serves 8 15 minutes 75 minutes

For the meringue

› 2 egg whites › 100 g sugar

For the berry & cream mixture

› › › ›

1 Start by making the meringue (you can also use

blackberries a little with a spoon. Add the remaining whole blackberries. 4 Whisk the cream with the vanilla sugar until stiff. 5 Put some whipped cream into each jar, crumble some meringue on top and pour over some blackberry sauce. Mix well and serve immediately.

WINE PAIRING

Orion 2022 Primitivo Salento Famiglia Falvo Masseria Li Veli

store-bought meringue). Preheat the oven to 130°C/110°C fan. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites for 2 minutes, then start gradually adding the sugar while whisking. Beat for another 7 minutes until glossy. 2 Transfer the mixture into a piping bag or use two spoons to pipe the meringues onto a lined baking tray. Bake for 75 minutes. Open the oven 2–3 times during the baking time to prevent too much moisture. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. 3 Put half of the blackberries into a small pot with 2 tbsp of water and heat on a medium heat. Crush the

500 g blackberries 2 tbsp water 500 g cream 2 packets vanilla sugar

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 94

17/05/2023 11:43

B L AC K B E R RY

S MOOT H I E B OW L Serves 1

5 minutes + freezing time

› 100 g frozen banana › 100 g frozen blackberries › 50 g blueberry soy or regular yoghurt

› 1–2 tbsp oat or regular milk 1 Peel the banana and roughly cut into

slices. Freeze the banana slices and the blackberries for at least 8 hours. 2 Put the frozen banana slices, frozen blackberries, and yoghurt into a food processor, and mix until smooth and creamy. Add some milk if necessary.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 95

For the toppings

› › › ›

Fresh blackberries Granola Pumpkin seeds Dark chocolate chips

Transfer to a bowl and add the toppings of your choice.

WINE PAIRING

Brouilly 2019 Beaujolais/Brouilly Alex Foillard

17/05/2023 11:43

SEASONAL FRUIT

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 96

17/05/2023 11:43

SEASONAL FRUIT

B L AC K B E R RY

T R AY BA K E Serves 10 15 minutes 50 minutes

› › › › › › › › › › ›

250 g butter (softened) 125 g white sugar 125 g brown sugar 4 eggs 150 g flour 2 tsp baking powder 100 g ground almonds 250 g blackberries 50 g white chocolate Fresh blackberries 30 g flaked almonds

1 Preheat the oven to

190°C/170°C fan.

2 In a bowl, cream the butter and

sugar together for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. 3 Gradually add the eggs. Sieve the flour and baking powder. Fold in the flour, baking powder and ground almonds before carefully folding in the blackberries. 4 Transfer the dough into a greased baking tin (20x20 cm) and bake for 45–55 minutes. Allow to cool completely. 5 Remove the cake from the tin. Melt the white chocolate and drizzle over the cake. Garnish with fresh blackberries and toasted flaked almonds.

WINE PAIRING

La Petite Fleur des Rochers Crémant de Luxembourg Rosé AOP Domaine Clos des Rochers

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 97

17/05/2023 11:43

SEASONAL FRUIT

PA NC A K E S

WIT H B L AC K B E R RY SAUC E

Serves 2 5 minutes 10 minutes

For the pancake dough

› › › › › ›

120 g flour 1 tbsp sugar 2 tsp baking powder 65 g soy or regular yoghurt ½ lemon (zest) 110 ml oat or regular milk

For the blackberry sauce

› 200 g blackberries › 2 tbsp sugar › 2 tbsp water

› 125 g mascarpone

1 For the pancake dough, mix all the dry ingredients in a

4 Stack the pancakes. Top with mascarpone and

blackberry sauce. Alternatively, you can add some mascarpone and sauce in between each pancake layer.

WINE PAIRING

Warre‘s Warrior Warre’s Finest Reserve Port Warre

bowl and gradually add the yoghurt, lemon zest and the milk, stirring continuously. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk (if the batter is too thick) or flour (if too thin). 2 Preheat a pan with some vegetable oil on a high heat. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium and bake the pancakes for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown. 3 In a small saucepan, heat the blackberries with the sugar and water for approximately 5 minutes.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 98

17/05/2023 11:43

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 99

17/05/2023 11:43

BAKING CLASSICS

S T R AWB E R RY SOR B E T Summer and ice cream – a perfect match! Master patissier Alessandro Vitali didn’t hesitate when we asked him to to share a delicious ice cream recipe with KACHEN readers – after all he is also gelato expert trained at the Ice Cream Academy in Italy! His fruity strawberry sorbet is guaranteed to hit the spot!

10‒12 portions 1 hour 4‒24 hours

› › › › › › ›

500 g fresh strawberries 1 lemon ( juice) 180 g caster sugar 4 g stabiliser (optional) 220 ml water 75 g glucose syrup 1 g pink Himalayan salt

PRIZE DRAW In collaboration with GRAEF, we're giving away an ice cream maker so you can create your own cool treats at home! Check out @kachenmagazine on Instagram for more information.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 100

17/05/2023 11:44

BAKING CLASSICS

Add the caster sugar and stabiliser mixture to the water and whisk to combine.

In a bowl, whisk together the caster sugar and stabiliser.

Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar and stabiliser.

In a saucepan, heat the water and glucose syrup to about 40°C.

Remove the syrup from the heat, add the strawberry purée and the pink salt.

Remove from the refrigerator, blend again for a few minutes and put the mixture in an ice cream machine. Launch the appropriate programme.

Transfer the ice cream to a container and freeze it (or leave in the ice cream maker container suitable for freezing).

IM700 Ice Cream Maker provided by GRAEF. Discover more on graef.de

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 101

101

Blend until smooth and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ideally 24 hours).

RECIPE PHOTOS

Alessandro Vitali Marc Dostert

Blitz the strawberries and lemon juice using a blender or food processor until smooth.

17/05/2023 11:44

LU X E TA S T E & S T Y L E P R E S E N T S

ÉDITION FRANÇAISE

DEUTSCHE AUSGABE

N ow avai l abl e i n G e rm a n & Fre nch! REESENMAG.LU

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 102 REESEN_09_270x210.indd 5

17/05/2023 13/02/2023 11:44 14:38

2023 14:38

PA RTNE R R ECI PE

C R E A M Y FA R FA LLE WIT H AVOC A DO & PINE NUTS Serves 2 › › › ›

200 g Le Moulin Farfalle 1 lime, juice & zest 2 ripe avocados 100 g cherry tomatoes

10 minutes › › › ›

3 tbsp pine nuts 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 4 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp coriander

1 Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. 2 Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits and scoop

out the flesh with a spoon. 3 Blend the avocado, olive oil, juice and zest of the lime, Parmesan cheese, coriander and parsley in a blender. 4 Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan and set aside. 5 Heat some olive oil in the same pan and lightly fry the cherry tomatoes until soft. Then add the avocado mixture and heat gently.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 103

10 minutes › › › ›

2 tbsp parsley 3 tbsp basil leaves Salt & pepper Chilli flakes, optional

6 Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix well.

If necessary, add a little cooking water from the pasta to make the sauce creamier. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 7 Garnish with fresh basil leaves, chilli flakes, some grated Parmesan and the toasted pine nuts. Serve immediately. For more Le Moulin recipes, visit lemoulin1704.lu

17/05/2023 11:44

S T E P -B Y-S T E P

GOUG È R E S Made from choux pastry mixed with grated cheese, gougères (or cheese puffs) are a delicious speciality from Burgundy. Ideal for a quick snack between meals or as finger food at parties and events. Served hot or cold, they are a truly tasty treat – and not just for cheese lovers.

25–30 small gougères 15 minutes 25 minutes

› › › › › ›

80 g butter ¼ tsp salt 250 ml water 150 g flour 3 eggs 200 g comté or gruyère cheese, grated › Pinch of grated nutmeg (optional) › Ground black pepper to taste

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 104

17/05/2023 11:44

S T E P -B Y-S T E P

Transfer the dough to a piping bag and make small balls of dough on a lined baking tray. Alternatively, make the balls using 2 spoons. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the balls and bake for about 20–25 minutes at 220°C/200°C fan.

105

Add 150 g of grated cheese. Add the nutmeg and pepper, and mix well.

With the spatula (or the flat beater attachment of a stand mixer), add one egg at a time, mixing well in between.

Marina Etchegoyen

Bring the pan back to a medium heat and keep mixing for about 2 minutes until a firm dough forms. Transfer the dough to a bowl and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the flour, mixing well with a spatula.

RECIPE & PHOTOS

In a medium pan, bring the butter, salt and water to a boil.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 105

17/05/2023 11:44

T R AV E L L I NG TA ST E BU DS

106

RECIPE & PHOTO

Paula Soryano

PE RUV I A N C E V IC HE

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 106

17/05/2023 11:45

T R AV E L L I NG TA ST E BU DS

Got wanderlust? Our new ‘Travelling Taste Buds’ series will get you there. In each issue, we take you on a culinary journey around the world to discover the diverse cuisines of different countries. Our journey begins in Peru with its national dish: ceviche – a tantalising combination of fresh raw fish marinated in lime juice, onion and spices. It’s so delicious that the saying goes: “If you don’t like ceviche, you’re not a real Peruvian!” Try out our recipe right now and bring that holiday feeling to your plate.

Serves 1 15 minutes 15 minutes

› ½ sweet potato › ¼ red onion, sliced › 120 g of extra fresh cod, › › › › › ›

well watered 2 limes 1 small red chilli pepper 1 pinch of salt 1 pinch of pepper 2 tbsp roasted corn 1 tbsp coriander leaves

1 Peel the sweet potato, steam it

107

for about 15 minutes, then cut it into cubes. 2 Peel the red onion and slice thinly. Put the slices in a bowl filled with cold water and set aside. 3 Cut the fish into pieces (about 1 cm). Squeeze the juice of 2 limes over the fish. 4 Add the sliced red chilli pepper, salt and pepper. Add the diced sweet potato, corn, coriander, and the red onion strips. Mix well and serve immediately.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 107

17/05/2023 11:45

KNOWLEDGE BITES

F ROM E XOT IC TO N AT IV E

When tomatoes were first brought across the seas from America, they were considered in some European countries to have sense-distorting aphrodisiac properties. Similar in appearance to apples, tomatoes came to be known in some regions as ‘love apples’ or ‘paradise apples’ (think Adam and Eve and the story of the forbidden fruit). By the late Middle Ages, though, people had begun to fear that this fruit of paradise might be poisonous, due to the number of deaths linked to eating tomatoes. “The real cause was usually the lead cutlery,” says spice hunter and food historian Marcel Thiele. “The acidity of the fruit triggered a chemical reaction that often resulted in lead poisoning.” Even today, we don’t know much about the tomato, but with far less tragic outcomes. “We still keep tomatoes in the fridge, even though that’s the wrong way to store them,” says Thiele. The lycopene in ripe tomatoes gives our skin additional protection against harmful UV rays, and the best place to ripen them properly is by the kitchen window. Of the fruit and vegetables advertised as ‘local’ in our markets and supermarkets, very few are native to the region. Even white cabbage – deemed a German vegetable – doesn’t hail from SchleswigHolstein, but from the

Mediterranean. At least we know Brussels sprouts originate from Belgium, albeit cultivated from other cabbage varieties. Spinach came from Persia and cucumbers from – we think – India, while radishes hailed from the Near East and rhubarb came to us via southern Siberia. Marcel Thiele explains that the word ‘rhubarb’ is derived from ‘rha’ (the Roman name for the Volga river) and ‘barbar’ (meaning ‘foreigner’). Much of what we used to know about our fruit and vegetables has been lost since they were first harvested here in Europe. “There used to be many more varieties of beetroot,” says Thiele. “Not only did beetroot come in various shades of red, but you could even taste where it was from. Beetroot grown in the mountains was a duller red, while varieties grown near the coast had a fruitier taste.” The world of haute cuisine is only just starting to appreciate these subtleties again. Had the “Poisonous Plant of the Year” award existed in the late 16th century, fewer people would certainly have died from eating a ‘new’ fruit or vegetable. When the Spanish conquistadors brought the potato to Europe from South America, many fell ill, or even died, after eating its poisonous stems and leaves instead of its tuber.

108

TEXT

Oliver Zelt

Markets and restaurants across Luxembourg promote their fruit and vegetables as ‘local’, yet some of them are rarely native to this part of the world. It’s time to tell the real story of culinary immigration.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 108

17/05/2023 11:45

11289_FL

Fair is the new trade Aminata Cocoa producer from the Ivory Coast

Starting now, we are working to create a fair future.

fairtrade.lu

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 109 11289_FL-RH_Ann-Kachen_210x270_EN_Aminata.indd 1

17/05/2023 11:45 05/05/2023 11:14

KNOWLEDGE BITES

LOC A L E XOT IC S The current trend of local farmers growing exotic fruit and vegetables (not to mention climate change making it possible) is opening up a whole new world of possibilities for regional cuisine. says one farmer from the region. This knobbly root vegetable from Lower Saxony’s soil looks just like the posh version of its sister in the fruit and vegetable aisle. Up until now, we’ve known ginger as having a woody brown-grey skin and often fibrous flesh, but this local variant is bright yellow, with a subtle lemony aroma and pepperiness. It doesn’t usually need to be peeled and has no stringy fibres. Right next to the root ginger beds grows another plant in the ginger family: turmeric. With broader but smaller leaves forming lush foliage above a bright yellow root, it is made in Germany, soft and succulent, with barely any bitter notes. Quinoa, a staple food for the Incas living in the High Andes of South America 6,000 years ago, now thrives in the Rhineland, while chia seeds grow happily on Knab fruit farm north of Munich. Thomas Barth in Bergkirchen, near Dachau in Bavaria, is even growing magnificent honeydew melons and watermelons. Hanni Rützler, Austrian nutritionist and food trend researcher, believes that these exotic products – until recently unheard of in this part of the world – fulfil several criteria of new value paradigms: “They’re fresh, healthy, and sustainably produced thanks to short transport routes.”

110

Chef François Jagut at Les Roses at CASINO 2OOO in Mondorf-les-Bains in south-east Luxembourg, serves up international cuisine: sea bass with a saffron rouille, the very best of Norway lobster with saffron-infused mango pieces and, for dessert, Japanese passion fruit fluffy cake and a saffron ice cream. And the biggest surprise of all: The saffron didn’t have to travel halfway around the world to feature in these delicious dishes. Instead, it comes from “just down the road”, in the Vosges mountains. It has been ten years since Richard Thiery set out on his venture to grow saffron in dry soil on a hill in Plombières-les-Bains. Today, he harvests 15,000 of the coveted flower stigmas from crocuses, which are actually native to Iran. But saffron also seems very much at home in the Lorraine climate. Between Colmar and the Rhine, Marc Pfefen has created a crocus plantation on half a hectare of land. Thanks to the Vosges barrier, rainfall is very low here – the perfect climate for this exquisite yellow spice. In fields all over Europe, fruit and vegetables – that previously could only be found in the world food aisles of supermarkets – are cropping up left, right and centre. In Germany, ginger is slowly becoming a ‘native’ on Stövesandt organic farm on the Lüneburg Heath. It takes “a season or two to attain optimal cultivation,”

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 110

17/05/2023 11:45

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 111

17/05/2023 11:45

DO IT YOURSELF

REFRESHING IDEAS

112

INSTRUCTIONS PHOTOS

Heike Meyers Ramunas Astrauskas

F OR T H E L I T T L E ON E S

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 112

17/05/2023 11:45

DO IT YOURSELF

For the ‒ hopefully wonderfully sunny ‒ summer days ahead, Heike Meyers has come up with some lovely craft ideas for the kids. We are sure that the grownups will have just as much fun doing them, so go for it!

MELON SNACK 20 skewers 30 minutes

› › › › › ›

1 large watermelon 125 g small strawberries 125 g blueberries 125 g raspberries 2 kiwis 1 cantaloupe melon

Alternatives

› Blackberries, cape gooseberries or grapes

Tools

› Small cookie cutters, melon baller and wooden skewers

1 Cut the watermelon in half. 2 Scoop out a few balls from one half and put the rest in

the fridge.

3 Scoop out balls or carve out other shapes from the

kiwis and cantaloupe melon, then thread them onto the skewers along with the berries. If necessary, flatten the bottom of the other half of the watermelon, place it on a pretty platter and insert the fruit skewers into the flesh. 4 When the skewers are eaten, cut the melon into slices and enjoy.

TIP

113

These fruit skewers are the perfect healthy snack for children’s birthday parties, when you’re looking for something refreshing between meals, or served up as a delicious dessert at your next barbecue.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 113

17/05/2023 11:45

DO IT YOURSELF

V E G E TA B LE S T IC K S NOT JUS T FOR K IDS!

Serves 6 20 minutes

› › › › ›

1 red pepper 1 yellow pepper 3 medium carrots 1 cucumber Alternatives: green pepper, courgette, green asparagus

For the herb curd

› › › › ›

200 g quark, 40 % Fresh garden herbs, chopped 1 pinch of fine sea salt 1 tsp of agave syrup Freshly ground black pepper

For the decoration

› 2 mini corn cakes › 2 blueberries › 6 chive stalks

1 Wash, clean and cut the

vegetables into strips.

2 For the herb curd: Mix all the

TIP

114

Serve this healthy snack for all ages as an appetizer or at a children’s party.

ingredients together and place in a small bowl. 3 Place the bowl in the middle of a larger dish. Arrange the vegetable sticks all around the dish in the shape of a lion’s mane. 4 Decorate the herb quark with the blueberries, leftover peppers, chives and corn cakes to make a lion’s face.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 114

17/05/2023 11:45

An initiative of the Luxembourgish Government in the framework of the plan “Gesond iessen, Méi beweegen”. More infos: gimb.lu

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 115

115

ILLUSTR ATION

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

R A I N B OW V E G E TA B L E TA R T

17/05/2023 11:45

DO IT YOURSELF

Have you ever heard of bag dolls? They are little dolls that sit in a bag. They are attached to a wooden stick, and when you push the stick up, they come out of their hiding place ‒ the bag! Heike Meyers was inspired by them and created these fabulous bouquets. An original gift for Mother’s Day, perhaps? Or for a special someone’s birthday.

WIR E HE A RT

BAG BOUQUE TS

› › › › › › ›

› Flowers & herbs (ideally wild), preferably

Thick & thin wire Selection of buttons & beads Felt balls Pretty ribbons Small bells Dried flowers Hot glue

› › › › ›

1 Bend the thick wire into a heart shape. 2 Attach your choice of decorations to it using

yarn, thin wire and hot glue. 3 Hang it up with a pretty ribbon.

TIP

1 Tie a small bouquet of flowers together, ensuring

they will fit in the pot. Carefully wrap the stems with the yarn. Trim the stems so they are all the same length. Gently attach the bouquet to the stick using the wire. 2 Make a hole in the bottom of the pot. This can be done very easily with a pair of closed scissors. Be careful: the hole should not be bigger than the diameter of the wooden stick. 3 Cut out a small paper heart and write the recipient’s name on it. Fasten the heart with the yarn.

116

The heart can also make a very pretty decoration on a present or a lovely gift for Mother’s Day.

with small blossoms 1 wooden stick (approx. 30 cm x 0.6 mm) 1 seedling pot made of cardboard Some wool & thin florist’s wire Scraps of paper Fineliner pen

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 116

17/05/2023 11:45

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 117

17/05/2023 11:45

V I N T N E R FA M I LY

MOLLING WINE S

It is said that the character of a wine reflects the character of its maker. No wonder, then, that the wines produced by young winemaker Bob Molling since 2020 are generous, fruity, honest, expressive and aromatic…just like him. Bob Molling grew up with winemaking, on his family’s vineyards, which they have owned for at least three generations. “My grandparents were winegrowers for Domaines Vinsmoselle. As a child, I loved riding beside my grandfather on his tractor and helping him deliver the grapes to Caves du Sud in Remerschen,” he recalls fondly.

winemakers in Germany and the world. After graduating, he returned to Luxembourg, where he worked for a winemaker in Remich. Keen to travel and broaden his horizons, Bob then worked as a consultant in Bosnia, Serbia, Romania and South Africa. “At that point, it had never crossed my mind to make wine myself.” In May 2019, his grandmother told him that the family’s vineyards — which they had been leasing out — were available again. It was then that he decided to take them on himself and establish his own estate: Molling Wines.

Family land

A breathtaking view

In the early 2000s, his grandparents retired. Of the family’s once large vineyards, only 60 ares remained. “Most of these vineyards were where the tunnel is today,” he explains, referring to the 1.6 km Markusbierg tunnel, which was constructed between 1997 and 2003. As a student, Bob Molling attended Hochschule Geisenheim University in Germany, origin of the best

When we arrive at the estate in Remerschen on a sunny Monday, we are met by a tractor and small trailer: a mobile tasting table. Jun Ruan is also visiting the estate today. Crowned 3rd in the Best Sommelier of Luxembourg competition, she has lived in France for ten years and is now sommelier at La Provençale. She, too, is very much looking forward to the special visit that awaits us.

118

TEXT PHOTOS

Marie Tissier Ramunas Astrauskas

A GOUR ME T E XCUR S ION T HROUG H T HE V INE YA R D

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 118

17/05/2023 11:45

V I N T N E R FA M I LY

Bob Molling is joined by fellow winemaker Marc Kohll who drives us up to the vineyards in the tractor, and shows us his friend’s land and the breathtaking views over the Moselle. It’s a fantastic way to travel along the small paths that criss-cross Felsberg! The winemaker tells us that he’s hoping that the vehicle, bought last year, will get a lot of use this year. “We also offer the option of a short gourmet walk through the vineyard. Just give us a call!” he says. After visiting the vineyards, it’s now time to taste the wine. We start off with the Roots cuvée. “It is especially dear to my heart, because roots not only symbolise the vines, but also my family, my heritage, my world,” the winemaker explains, full of pride and emotion. This 2021 vintage is 25% Auxerrois and 75% Pinot Blanc. “The vines are mostly 40-45 years old, and some of the grapes have been fermented with their skins.”

Surprises and discoveries

MOLLING WINES 2, Rue de la Montagne — L-3259 Bettembourg Tel. +352 / 691 250 891

mollingwines.lu

119

Jun Ruan’s verdict? “It’s a rather dry wine, very aromatic with fruity notes, thanks to the skin fermentation.” When the winemaker suggests pairing it with a mushroom risotto, the sommelier agrees, adding that it would also go well with a John Dory dish or a cheese board. Next up is the Auxerrois 2021: “White fruits, white peach, nectarine, a nice acidity: I can imagine it with a herby or spicy fish tartare. I’d probably decant it a little too,” says the expert sommelier. Last but not least: the Riesling 2020. The perfect wine to accompany shellfish, according to Ruan, who seems impressed. “A simple wine with mineral notes, a beautiful citrusy nose with a hint of honey, thanks to the wonderful

ripeness of the grapes,” she enthuses. After a few more surprises (including a brief shower of rain and a spectacular rainbow), it’s time to get back to the real world. The visit may well be over, but we’ll definitely be back — with family, friends and colleagues next time… The wonderful world of friendly winemaker Bob Molling is always well worth the visit!

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 119

17/05/2023 11:45

INTERVIEW

C H ÂT E AU LE S C ROS T E S T HE NOB LE NOT E S OF ROS É WINE

It is the poor relation of the wine world, and yet, on sunny summer days, it’s the wine to have in your glass. Whether at a barbecue with friends, on a deckchair by the sea or on the terrace of a café: A glass of rosé is synonymous with sunny days, lazy days and fun days. And when it comes to pink wine, Provence rosés are among the best. Yet, self-proclaimed connoisseurs often dismiss rosé wine as not “noble” enough. An opinion that one man from Luxembourg has been successfully proving wrong for a number of years now. For him, all the characteristics of rosé wine that are so often criticised are, in fact, advantages. Easy to drink? Lively? A wine to enjoy with family and friends? In short: an unpretentious wine. This man is none other than Prince Félix of Luxembourg. For several years now, he has been turning his hand to the vines on his estate in Provence, to produce a high-quality rosé wine.

His vineyard is Château Les Crostes, in Lorgues, north of Saint-Tropez. A gift from the family that he wants to see prosper. “When we got the château from my wife’s father, I instantly knew that I wanted to become a winemaker,” he explains. “I’m an entrepreneur by nature and I believe it’s important to take care of what you have. It’s an absolute joy and honour to own such a beautiful estate.” Built in the 17th century by the Count of Ramatuelle, Château Les Crostes is set in 220 hectares of grounds. A magnificent residence that Prince Félix and his wife, Princess Claire, open to the public: You can even stay in the château or hire it out for private events. It is eight years ago now since Prince Félix first decided to become a winemaker, “with a lot of help from our oenologist Ted Garin, who has taught me so much.” His 55

120

TEXT PHOTOS

Marie Tissier Ramunas Astrauskas

On his 55-hectare vineyard in the heart of Provence, Prince Félix of Luxembourg produces 350,000 bottles of wine a year. Eighty percent of these are rosé.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 120

17/05/2023 11:45

INTERVIEW

BERNARD-MASSARD.LU ENTER THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WINE CELLAR FROM YOUR HOME

NEW WINE E-SHOP More than 900 wines from around the world

BM_KACHEN_78x220_EN.indd 1

121

hectares of vines now produce predominantly rosé wines (80% of production), but also some whites and reds. His biggest challenge? Maintaining the same quality year on year. “Unlike red and white wines (where consumers like to see changes over the vintages) consumers do not expect to see much variation when it comes to rosés. It’s therefore important to be meticulous when it comes to blending. There are a lot of different factors to consider.” The prince seems to have achieved his goal: “I think that the rosé I produce today is my favourite rosé. Because for me, a good rosé is a balanced wine that is easy to drink – light, dry and fruity. An upbeat wine that you want to share with family and friends and that makes you want to open another bottle as soon as you’ve finished one,” he says. His Amalia 2021 and Château Les Crostes ‘Prestige’ 2022 are sold in Luxembourg. The noble rosé choice!

16.05.23 14:43

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 121

17/05/2023 11:45

ADVERTORIAL

EXPLORING THE ROOTS OF THE

G R A ND PR E MIE R C RU R ANGE OF “LES VIGNERONS DE DOMAINES VINSMOSELLE” WINES “Les Vignerons de Domaines Vinsmoselle” is more than just a brand of wine. The name stands for age-old tradition and savoir-faire. For almost 100 years now, nearly 200 winegrowing families have been working together on the banks of the Moselle with one common aim: to produce wines of the finest quality. The banks of the Moselle enjoy a moderate climate, providing the ideal conditions for the vines to flourish and produce beautiful grapes, guaranteeing wines of incomparable freshness – the hallmark of “Les Vignerons de Domaines Vinsmoselle”. The diversity of soils allows for the production of wines with a wide variety of aromas and flavours, depending on the location of the vines.

The Grand Premier Cru range: finesse and character

“The work of a winegrower first and foremost involves a lot of time and a lot of love... all year round. From pruning in winter, to care and maintenance the rest of the year, to harvesting the grapes in autumn.” JOSY GLODEN PRESIDENT OF DOMAINES VINSMOSELLE

Before you even smell or taste the wine, take the time to examine the bottles, with their elaborately designed labels: cold embossment, gold hot foil stamping, elegant hues. Their appearance says it all. Well, almost. Because the best is yet to come. The proof is, indeed, in the tasting. Placed between entry-level wines and fine wines, Grand Premier Cru wines offer tradition with a hint of boldness, thanks to two appellations that embody the great classics of Luxembourg’s Moselle region. The Coteaux de Remich, whose clay soils give the wines their soft, harmonious body. On the palate, fruity notes marry with a nice roundness. The Coteaux de Grevenmacher, whose limestone soils produce elegant, racy wines, characterised by a delightful blend of acidity and minerality. The wines in the Grand Premier Cru range owe their finesse, character and uniqueness to limited grape yields (i.e. fewer grapes are grown on each vine, so that they are more concentrated and sweeter), meticulously hand-picked grapes, and refined winemaking techniques. Every effort is made to offer wine lovers a taste experience that is second to none, with dense, complex, fascinating wines. The Grand Premier Cru range comprises five grape varieties: Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer, each of which will surprise you with its unique personality, reflecting the intricate work of our winemakers and cellar masters.

122

vinsmoselle.lu

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 122

17/05/2023 11:45

LesVignero

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 123 LesVignerons_GPC_AnnonceKACHEN-Josy.indd 1

17/05/2023 11:45 11/05/2023 08:19:51

Une marque des Domaines Vinsmoselle - L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé. À consommer avec modération.

BAR SNAPSHOT

BAC, short for Bar à Cocktails, is the exciting new venture of Raphael Betti (formerly of Paname) and Lisa Metz Steffen (from Steffen Group). This charming spot offers a cosy ambiance for a 100% Luxembourgish cocktail experience. Indeed, all the ingredients come from local producers, ensuring exquisite flavours and new discoveries. Indulge in signature cocktails, a curated wine list, and refreshing Diekirch beer on tap. The menu also features dishes to share like mouthwatering “Plant Dogs” ‒ vegan hot dogs with a twist. Inside, an intimate space awaits featuring a central bar where skilled mixologists create their concoctions. Adding to the allure, a fascinating relic ‒ a vintage painting of a woman on a motorcycle salvaged from a former biker bar ‒ adorns one wall.

TEXT PHOTO

Ya n n i c k B u r r o w s Marc Dostert

BAC - 100 % LOC A L

BAC welcomes guests Wednesday to Sunday, from 5 pm until the final elevator ride at 1 am. Feeling thirsty? Head to 7, rue Vauban in the heart of Luxembourg’s Pfaffenthal district.

Serves 1

5 minutes

› › › ›

3 cl Poire Williams (Bierendrepp) 2 cl pine tree liqueur (Dännebeemchen) 3 cl sage syrup 2 cl acid of choice (lemon juice, verjuice, fake lemon,…) › A few drops of sage bitter › Soda water 1 Pour all the ingredients (except the soda)

in a highball glass over cubed ice.

2 Give it a quick stir. 3 Top the drink up with soda. 4 Garnish with some sage leaves. 5 Serve.

124

@ bac_luxembourg

SOI S S AG E

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 124

17/05/2023 11:45

ADVERTORIAL

S UMME R , S UN S HINE . . . & WINE ! embark on a tasting tour through the region’s charming winegrowing villages, where you’ll be sure to find new favourites to offer your garden party guests. Visit a wine cellar, book a tasting session or head out to one of the many weekend wine festivals where you can meet and chat with winegrowers, who will be more than happy to help you find the perfect wines to pair with your summer barbecue menu.

Good mood guaranteed

Get the summer, terrace and barbecue season off to a sunny start with Vins & Crémants Luxembourg! Cheers to an unforgettable summer!

Information on the Vins & Crémants winegrowers can be found at vins-cremants.lu/en

125

We’ve been eagerly awaiting it, and now it’s finally here again: Summertime! Time for sunglasses, sunhats, summer clothes and, of course, something we all love: terrace season! Whether as a couple or with friends, long summer evenings are best spent outdoors – at home or on the terrace of your favourite bar or restaurant. Finally, the smell of charcoal and suntan lotion is in the air again... It’s enough to make you feel hungry ...and thirsty! Barbecues are coming out of their winter hibernation, ready for their annual sizzling service. Gardens up and down the country are preparing to host barbecue parties. But what would a barbecue party be without an aperitif: a chilled glass of wine or sparkling Crémant, white or rosé, from the Luxembourg Moselle? Take the time this summer to visit the winegrowers along the Luxembourg side of the Moselle river, and

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 125

17/05/2023 11:45

KNOWLEDGE BITES

A HUNDR E D PE R C E N T 0.0% What better, more sophisticated accompaniment to your meal than a glass of wine? Well, how about a delicious non-alcoholic alternative instead? Overcoming these minor challenges is, however, guaranteed to spruce up menus and give diners a real treat! In Piesport, less than 50 kilometres from the Luxembourg border in Germany, Thomas Schanz wows guests in his three-star schanz.restaurant with a banana juice made with lavender, quince, lemon juice and grapeseed oil to accompany a goose liver tart with sherry glaze and watercress. In Perl-Nennig, three-Michelin star chef Christian Bau’s Japanese-inspired cuisine is paired with innovative drinks: one that combines kabusecha tea, mandarin oranges and rice, and another which is a mix of beetroot juice together with lime and onion extracts. Bekah Roberts-Natmessnig, restaurant manager and wife of the head chef at Alois - Dallmayr Fine Dining in Munich, likes to serve Alois’s special drinks ‒ a cucumber, coconut water, lime and lemongrass syrup cocktail, for instance ‒ in beautiful, high-quality wine glasses because “this helps bring out the flavour and lends them a sense of sophistication.” Anyone wishing to keep pace with this high-end restaurant trend at home might like to start with a non-alcoholic wine. Wine producer Domaines Vinsmoselle located in Remich on the Moselle river, has an excellent non-alcoholic wine in its range: Plaisir Sans Alcool. For an intoxicating evening ‒ without the intoxication!

126

TEXT

Oliver Zelt

A refreshing alternative to wine marries well with the ‘Secret Garden’ option on the menu at ‘La Distillerie’ in Bourglinster: a root and tuber vegetable, hazelnut and celery milk dish, served with a drink full of the aromas of wild rose, beech, apple and citrus fruits. This non-alcoholic drink, created by sous-chef Archibald de Prince, puts this upscale Luxembourg restaurant on the map as a trendsetter. The world of haute cuisine has long struggled to offer diners anything other than wine with their food, but things are finally starting to get interesting in the glasses of fine dining restaurants. More and more chefs in top culinary establishments are giving serious thought to alternatives to wine – the latest generation are especially keen to get creative and show diners that essences and vegetable juices can be just as flavoursome, albeit a challenge for the kitchen. Usually, an additional chef is needed, or someone in charge solely of non-alcoholic drinks for pairing with dishes. Pairing juices with dishes is a particularly tricky task for the kitchen team, who needs to ensure the juice isn’t so overpowering that it detracts from the food. What’s more, unlike wine, freshly prepared mixed drinks and cold-pressed juices don’t keep for long and have to be poured away if no one orders them.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

34_ALCOHOLFREE DRINKS_EN.indd 126

17/05/2023 13:28

RECIPE

5 F R E S H DR INK S

HE A LT H Y & DE LIC IOUS No more dreary iced teas or ‒ even worse ‒ industrially produced sweet drinks that send our blood sugar levels soaring! This summer, we’re choosing the healthy option to quench our thirst. Here are five recipes that will make you forget all about ready-made products!

VIRGIN SANGRIA WITH PEACH & R ASPBERRY 1 glass › › › › › › ›

30 ml peach syrup 60 ml apple juice ½ lime, juice ¼ white peach, diced 4 raspberries Sparkling water Crushed ice

1 Pour the peach syrup, apple juice

and lime juice into a glass. 2 Add the fresh fruit and top up with sparkling water. 3 Add some crushed ice and serve immediately.

R ASPBERRY KOMBUCHA WITH LIME & BASIL

2 glasses

2 glasses › 20 ml lime juice › A handful of raspberries › A few basil leaves

(set some aside for garnish)

› 1 l raspberry kombucha › Ice cubes

1 Put all the ingredients in a large

glass and chill for a few hours.

2 Serve in pretty cocktail glasses

with a few ice cubes and decorate with a basil leaf.

DETOX WATER WITH CITRUS FRUITS

› › › ›

500 g watermelon 150 g strawberries 1 lime Ice cubes

1 Cut the watermelon into cubes.

Wash the strawberries, remove the stalks and cut them in half. 2 Put the fruit in a blender. Add the juice of one lime and some ice cubes. Blend until smooth. 3 Serve in large glasses with a few ice cubes.

PINEAPPLE GR ANITA WITH GINGER & ROSEMARY

2 glasses › › › › ›

WATERMELON SMOOTHIE WITH LIME & STR AWBERRY

1 glass › › › › ›

3 organic oranges 1 organic lime 1 organic grapefruit 1 l filtered water or spring water 1 sprig of rosemary

1 Wash the oranges and the lime and cut into

1 Brew a sachet of rosemary tea. Leave to cool

and refrigerate.

2 Brunoise the pineapple: Cut the flesh into very fine,

small cubes. Season with a dash of rosemary syrup and add grated ginger to taste. 3 Place a teaspoon of pineapple brunoise with rosemary and ginger in the bottom of a glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice and top up with the rosemary tea. Serve immediately.

127

very thin slices. Remove the seeds and set aside. 2 Peel and slice the grapefruit. 3 Place the fruit in a large glass jar or jug with a lid. Add the whole rosemary sprig and fill with water. Shake gently and chill for one hour. 4 Serve chilled.

1 sachet rosemary tea 1 Victoria pineapple Rosemary syrup 1 small piece of ginger Crushed ice

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

34_ALCOHOLFREE DRINKS_EN.indd 127

17/05/2023 13:28

SHAKE IT BABY!

LIMONC E LLO R E V IV E R This refreshing, lemony cocktail is ideal for hot summer days. Tart, sweet and best served ice cold, the Limoncello Reviver is always the right choice.

› › › › › › › ›

30 ml Empress 1908 Gin 30 ml limoncello 30 ml Lillet Blanc 30 ml lemon juice 15 ml simple syrup Ice ball Ice cubes 1 lemon wedge & zest to garnish

Preparation 1 Pour all the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. 2 Shake until the outside of the shaker frosts up and

strain into a large coupe glass over the ice ball.

Garnish

Garnish with a lemon wedge and zest.

BAS IL LIME SM AS H This creation, originally known as Gin Pesto, first appeared on a blog in July 2008, where it quickly gained popularity and became internationally known. Eventually, its name also changed to Gin Basil Smash. Check out our refreshing alcohol-free version.

› › › › › ›

12 basil leaves 6 green grapes 30 ml fresh lime juice 30 ml simple syrup Soda water Ice cubes

Preparation 1 In a shaker, muddle the basil leaves with the lime juice. 2 Add the green grapes and muddle thoroughly. 3 Add the simple syrup and fill the shaker with ice.

Shake until the outside of the shaker frosts up.

4 Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass and top it

with some soda water.

Garnish

Garnish with a basil leaf.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 128

17/05/2023 11:46

ADVERTORIAL

PUR PLE LOUNG E E AT A ND MOR E

Contemporary and unwaveringly cosmopolitan, the Purple Lounge has just launched its brand new menu, under chef Stéphane Hubert. A summer menu that takes you on a gastronomic journey to far-flung corners of the earth. The Purple Lounge’s reputation is well-established. Over the course of two decades, this CASINO 2OOO restaurant has made a name for itself as a place for original, generous cuisine and good vibes, all in a chic, urban setting dreamed up by interior designer Isabelle Armand. Whether for breakfast, a casual dinner or an evening of entertainment, the Purple Lounge guarantees you a (very) good time!

New culinary trends

Ever since it opened its doors, the Purple Lounge has prided itself in forging close relationships with artists. The restaurant is also a popular place for people to come together to eat, drink and have fun. The Purple Lounge has come up with “Stars & Stories Evenings”, a new series of events featuring famous names from the worlds of TV, arts and entertainment and sport, as well as comedians. After playing host to TV and radio presenter and actor Yvan Le Bolloc’h, this trendy address will soon welcome iconic 80s songwriter Didier Barbelivien. Last but not least, the Purple Lounge also regularly organises DJ sets, where you can dance the night away to hot rhythms until 2 am!

PURPLE LOUNGE 5, Rue Flammang — L-5618 Mondorf-les-Bains Tel. +352 / 23 61 14 20

129

Chef Stéphane Hubert has taken his cuisine in a new direction, with culinary creations that take you around the world. There’s his crispy Korean fried chicken (a highlight on the seasonal menu), his grilled prawn salad with tandoori spices, and his Bollywood chicken burger (a tasty summer burger special). Also well worth sampling is one of his most ambitious dishes: salmon with Japanese Furikake spices, served with pan-fried kale and seasoned with soy and ponzu sauce. A delightful delicacy. For pairing with the food on this new menu, the wines have been specially selected by Thierry Corona, named Luxembourg’s Sommelier of the Year by Gault&Millau, for an even more fabulous experience.

Dining in good company

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

35_COCKTAIL_EN.indd 129

17/05/2023 12:58

130

TEXT

Susanne Jaspers

F E AT U R E

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 130

17/05/2023 11:46

F E AT U R E

A M AT T E R OF TAS T E Why the Italians actually have the Austrians to thank for the global success of Aperol Spritz – and what the Americans have to say about it.

I still remember my first time pretty clearly. It was in the north-east of Italy. We were spending a few days of early summer with Austrian friends in Trieste. We’d spent the whole morning wandering around the beautiful old city and were in need of a sit-down and a drink. We found a café, sat at a table on the terrace and tried to decide what we were in the mood for. Because it was still early on in the day, our first thought was a soft drink. But on that summer’s day in Trieste, we’d have looked pretty out of place with a sparkling water or lemonade. At every table around us, everyone else, without exception, was drinking an orange cocktail with lots of ice from big wine glasses. When we asked them what it was, our Austrian friends (who definitely knew, but more about that later) told us that it was an Aperol Spritz. “Aper... what?”

UN ITALIANO VERO…

orange and aromatic herbs that they named ‘Aperol’, from the French slang for ‘aperitif’: ‘apéro’. The drink enjoyed increasing popularity in the following decades, albeit limited to northern Italy and its neighbouring regions. Until, that is, someone in the 1950s came up with the idea of ‘spritzing’ the liqueur.

131

It seems inconceivable today that there was once a time when there were people in the world who didn’t know what an Aperol Spritz was. After all, it is now one of the most well-known, best-loved cocktails, ranking among the top ten bestselling mixed drinks worldwide every year. But before the Spritz came the Aperol. Neat. 100% Italian. In 1912, brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri inherited a liqueur company from their father. Legend has it that they spent seven years experimenting with their recipe, before presenting their creation to the public at the Padua International Fair in 1919 – a distillate made from rhubarb, cinchona bark, yellow gentian, bitter

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 131

17/05/2023 11:46

F E AT U R E

… OR PERHAPS NOT?

And this is where things start to get a little contentious in the debate about the origins of this cult drink. Of course, the Italians stake claim not only to Aperol, but also to Aperol Spritz, maintaining that they merely borrowed the term ‘Spritz’ from the Austrian ‘Gespritzter’ (‘splashed’) or ‘Spritzer’ (‘splash’) when naming the most definitely 100% Italian drink. But here’s the crux: During their centuries of rule in Italy, the Austrians are said to have found Italian wine too strong, and so diluted it with a ‘splash’ of still water, thereby inventing the ‘spritzer’. Fair enough. But what’s that got to do with Aperol? Well, the Italians – or more specifically the Venetians, because Venice is considered the unofficial capital of Aperol Spritz – are said to have then hit on the idea of, rather than replacing the wine with liqueur, reducing the amount of water in a wine spritzer and adding Aperol into the mix. Someone then came up with the clever idea of using sparkling water instead of still water. And, there you have it: The Aperol Spritz was born. So, does that make the Spritz Austrian or Italian? Perhaps the neighbours should do the neighbourly thing and simply share the credit for the cocktail creation.

WHAT ELSE? APEROL! THAT’S WHAT!

OR ANGE DISHWATER?

The cheerful orange Italian drink was not, however, always quite so popular everywhere in the world. In the USA, for example, it was initially met with a certain degree of snobbery: In 2019, the New York Times published an article entitled “The Aperol Spritz Is Not a Good Drink”, arguing that the cocktail was watered down by all the ice in it and that cheap plonk was usually used for the prosecco component. This scathing review did not, nonetheless, stop Aperol Spritz in its triumphant rise to success in the USA (thanks once again to a concerted marketing push) and the Americans wanting in on the act: “America Already Loves Spritzes. Now It Just Needs Its Own Aperol”, wrote an American newspaper in March 2023 – and wouldn’t you know it: the New York Times. Better not let the Italians hear that... Although, between you and me, the Aperol Spritz star is allegedly falling. According to insiders, Campari Spritz is the new ‘in’ drink. And what’s one of those? Well, exactly the same as an Aperol Spritz – just replace Aperol with its bitter relative.

132

At around the same time, Aperol began to be marketed internationally, with its first TV commercial, followed by decades of intensive advertising to raise the profile of the liqueur, until the company was acquired by the Campari Group in the early 2000s. With its takeover of Aperol,

Campari may, however, have done itself a disservice to in terms of its own cult drink. While in the 1980s, the answer to the question about the iconic red aperitif was “Campari – What else?”, today the famous bitter liqueur is increasingly rarely seen at bistro tables, with Aperol Spritz taking its place as the aperitif of choice. I even recently saw two young ladies enjoying the cocktail with their pizza instead of before it. But each to their own. Who writes the rule book anyway?

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 132

17/05/2023 11:46

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 133

17/05/2023 11:46

MUST H AV ES

This buddha bowl from the KOI series by ASA Selection was designed by Michelin star chef Tim Raue. Don’t miss our bowl recipes on page 16. € 26.90

Put your plants in the spotlight with the UP high plant basket in mustard from Handed By. € 38.50

Hello, sunshine! This Price & Kensington stoneware mug will make you smile even when it rains. € 9.99

asa-selection.com

handedby.com

a-fine.de

S UN S H INE Y E LLOW

You’ll be skipping to the shops (or the beach) with Hoff Interieur’s SUNSHINE cotton bag! € 47.90

Nothing goes better with summer than the vibrant colour yellow! Here are a few things guaranteed to bring sunshine and positive energy into your home.

hoff-shop.de

Get the feel-good factor when you set your table with these plates from the Variété du Soleil series by ASA Selection. € 22.50 asa-selection.com

Got guests? Serve snacks or sweets in this beautifully designed snack bowl from the new collection by Dottir. € 33.75

Transform an empty bottle into a stylish lamp with the TOP 2.0 by Sompex. Easy, original and innovative. € 79

Ice cream is always a good idea! Especially with this funky Fackelmann scoop. Check out these irresistible sorbet recipe on page 100. € 3.99

dottirnordicdesign.com

sompex.de

fackelmann.de

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 134

17/05/2023 11:46

roofing + insulation

electrical work

ulation thermal ins composite systems

Windows gates doors + new facade

outdoor furniture

plastering

gardening + landscaping

Over 140 employees at hand for your projects.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 135

Showroom: 7, rue de Godbrange L–6118 Junglinster T. 42 64 95 – 1 www.phillipps.lu

17/05/2023 11:46

TA B L E DE SIGN

SUMME RT IME IS T R AV E L T IME ! There’s a certain magic to discovering new things while travelling… And that’s what Paraíso is all about. The new tableware collection from SIEGER by FÜRSTENBERG whisks you away to a fabulous world of exotic plants, extraordinary colours and gorgeous patterns. Not only will it awaken your wanderlust, but will also give your dining table that extra something guaranteed to take you on a journey of the imagination that stretches beyond your plate.

136

sieger-germany.com

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 136

17/05/2023 11:46

137

TA B L E DE SIGN

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 137

17/05/2023 11:46

TREND

BA BY S HOWE R

A S L IG H T LY DI F F E R E N T PA R T Y

As with so many traditions, baby showers were born in the USA, but we think that hosting a pre-birthday party to celebrate and spoil a much-longed for child is a lovely idea. Although, to be fair, it’s more the guests who are spoilt on the day, at least culinarily speaking, that is. In return, guests spoil, or “shower” the unborn baby with gifts. Hence the name “baby shower”. Last summer, our very own Heike Meyers from “Pfeffer macht glücklich” organised a baby shower in her garden to celebrate her soon-to-be-born grandchild. She set up a long table on pallets, with lots of big cushions in pastel shades as seats. Each plate on the table boasted a mini braided sweet bread wreath and the guest’s name. Sweet bread is very easy to make, and the recipe and shape can be adapted to any occasion (wreaths, pretzels, flowers, Easter bunnies, the traditional sweet bread version of gingerbread men over the festive period, and much more). To decorate the table, Heike picked some wild flowers and punched confetti out of pastel coloured paper. A dummy on each plate reminded guests who the party was in honour of! If you know if the baby is a boy or a girl, you may opt for blue or pink decorations, but you can, of course go with whatever colour scheme you like. A big cake is a must! And if you don’t fancy baking one yourself, you can always order one from Heike. She’ll even be more than happy to organise your entire baby shower for you! pmg.lu

138

CONCEPT PHOTOS

Heike Meyers Ramunas Astrauskas

The latest big thing in parties? Baby showers! If not to celebrate the impending arrival of your own little bundle of joy, then perhaps the upcoming birth of a friend or relative’s baby! You could even throw one as a surprise for the mother-to-be! And when it comes to themes and decorations, there’s endless scope for ideas and creativity!

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 138

17/05/2023 11:46

139

TREND

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 139

17/05/2023 11:46

RECIPE

MINI B R A IDE D SWE E T B R E A D W R E AT H S

12‒14 bread wreaths 25 minutes + resting time 15 minutes

› › › › › › ›

280 ml whole milk (lukewarm) 25 g fresh yeast 550 g plain flour (type 550) 75 g fine raw cane sugar 125 g butter (softened) 1 large pinch of fine sea salt 2 egg yolks

To coat

› 1 egg yolk › 1 tbsp cream › 2 tbsp crystal sugar

Pour the yeast and milk mixture into the well and cover with a little flour. Cover the bowl and leave to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. 3 Next, mix in the butter, salt and egg yolks and knead for at least 5 minutes to form a soft, smooth, shiny dough. Cover the bowl again and leave to rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes. 4 Gently knead the dough again with your hands and divide it into 24–28 balls. Roll each ball into a strand and then twist 2 strands together. Next, fold the ends together to form a wreath, pressing the ends down firmly. Place the wreaths on a baking tray lined with baking paper, cover with a cloth and leave to rest for a further 10 minutes.

5 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. 6 Whisk the egg yolk and cream, brush the wreaths

with the mixture and sprinkle them with the crystal sugar. Bake in a preheated oven for approx. 15 minutes, until golden brown.

TIP

Braided sweet bread wreaths taste best eaten fresh. You can, however, also make them a few days in advance and freeze them, in freezer bags, while still lukewarm. Take them out of the freezer shortly before your event. Allow to defrost for 30 minutes and then warm them up for a few minutes in a preheated oven.

140

RECIPE PHOTO

Heike Meyers Ramunas Astrauskas

1 Mix the lukewarm milk with the yeast. 2 Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl and make a well.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 140

17/05/2023 11:46

TREND

NEW

RAK Porcelain Europe S.A. • T +352 26 360 665 info@rakporcelaineurope.com • www.rakporcelain.com 00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 141

17/05/2023 11:46

L A GR APPE D’OR

TEXT PHOTOS

Marie Tissier Graphisterie Générale

A N E NC H A NT ING E SC A PE La Grappe d’Or was opened by chef Clément Petitjean on the Belgium-Luxembourg border just a year ago with his partner, Monia Aouini. The Belgian chef has already regained the Michelin star he earned at his previous La Grappe d’Or, 40 km away in Torgny. The large modern building in which the new restaurant is housed was a floor-to-ceiling renovation project by fellow Belgian Clotilde Filipucci, also from Petitjean’s native Florenville. This was one of Filipucci’s very first projects – she recently set up her interior design studio, Milkshake, in Luxembourg together with Sandrine Monteiro. “The final design is the fruit of many ideas and discussions. The concept for the restaurant’s dining room was to create a dream-like bubble; a plush, carefree retreat from everyday life. La Grappe d’Or is not somewhere to just pop into for a quick bite to eat; it’s a place to relax and unwind, to savour your meal, the company you’re in, and your surroundings,” explains the interior designer. “The lounge area has a more energetic vibe: it’s where you go for an aperitif or after-dinner drink.” In this part of the restaurant, the emphasis is on fun and quirky contemporary design: the brightly coloured rugs on the floor (from Moooi) are otherworldly and the white ceramic Seletti wall vases are heart-shaped – anatomical hearts, that is!

On cloud nine

yourself in a large airy space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a garden. An overwhelming sense of serenity, softness and intimacy…an enchanting escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. The high pile carpet, ultracomfy chairs and deep, spacious custom-made benches epitomise luxury cosiness. The powder pink, soft turquoise blue and white colour scheme, not to mention the cloudlike ceiling lights, add to the relaxing ambiance. The crockery was handmade by ceramist Véronique Leukers, a former neighbour in Torgny, and the small vases by Eva Kengen in Vaux-sur-Sûre. Even the knives have a story to tell: Antoine Van Loocke, from Ghent, designed them especially for La Grappe d’Or. “He reuses old blades and crafts the handles to suit the look and feel of the restaurants he works with,” says Petitjean. The cherrywood tables and cheese trolley were designed by cabinetmaker Kris Rabaut from Erneuville, north of Bastogne. There is little doubt that the Michelin Green Star awarded to La Grappe d’Or this year is down to the fact that most of its design elements have been sourced locally. Filipucci explains that the chef wanted “each and every element to have a story or designer behind it.” And this wish was granted.

L A GR APPE D’OR 317, Rte de Luxembourg — B-6700 Arlon Tel. +32 / 63 57 70 56

lagrappedor.com

142

Above the reception area, a large floral arrangement by Arlon florists BöHö marks the transition between lounge and dining room. On entering the dining room, you’ll find

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 142

17/05/2023 11:46

143

R E STAU R A N T DE SIGN

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 143

17/05/2023 11:46

IVA MR Á ZKOVÁ

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 144

17/05/2023 11:47

ART

145

www.atelier-iva.eu

TEXT PHOTO

Marion Finzi Marc Dostert

Iva Mrázková is an insatiable artist who has been weaving a creative path full of twists and turns since the tender age of 14. Born in Opava in former Czechoslovakia, Iva moved to Prague to attend the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, before going on to train at the capital’s prestigious Academy of Fine Arts. After graduating at just 25, Iva decided to leave her homeland, head west, and arrived in Luxembourg in 1989. With all the energy and enthusiasm of youth, she was not afraid to take risks and decided to embark on a career as a painter. It was not long before she was exhibiting her first works of art — mainly collages — in galleries in both Luxembourg and her native Czech Republic, with which she still has strong links today. A few years later, Iva realised that as a painter she wasn’t using the skills she’d learned at art school in her work. And so, she decided to try her hand at something a bit different — a combination of weaving and painting. “Combining fabric and paint gives two perspectives on the canvas, and there’s something magical in these one-off creations that, try as you might, you’ll never “Combining fabric be able to reproduce exactly the and paint gives same again.” Determined to keep two perspectives reinventing herself artistically, Iva on the canvas.” then turned to monotype printmaking — a printing technique that enables the instant creation of unique prints from a plate that has not been etched or engraved on. In 2007, Iva discovered a whole new world of art: sculpture. “Seeing a three-metre-high sculpture come to life, as opposed to a flat canvas painting, sparked something in me.” It is, therefore, no coincidence that Iva’s first sculpture — which stands in Hesperange’s public park — is called “Victoire”. She confides that “creating this piece was a real victory.” The three-dimensional aspect of sculpture also gave new impetus to her work as a painter: “It helped me take my painting in a new direction.” Since 2020, Iva has also been creating collages on wood, with several triptychs featuring in her latest exhibition. “I love constantly reinventing myself — it’s fun, and essential after so many years.” The future looks set to be as creative as ever for this artist who will never cease to experiment and surprise us!

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 145

17/05/2023 11:47

AGENDA

C ULT UR A L

AGE NDA C ONC E R T S

At KACHEN, we love the summer days that stretch out and never end. Get your fill of cultural activities this summer, and make the most of it while it lasts!

KLANGBUER – MANSFELD SESSIONS Mansfeld Park From 15.07 to 30.07.2023 In the heart of Mansfeld Park, jazz, rock, classical and world music fans can enjoy a variety of open-air concerts. It all kicks off on the first day of the famous Blues ‘n Jazz Rallye festival in the City.

KINNEKSWISS LOVE Kinnekswiss Park From 30.06 to 02.07.2023 The Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as international music stars, will once again perform on the magnificent stage set up in the city’s Kinnekswiss Park. A musical event not to be missed.

SUMMERSTAGE Parc Le’h 14.07.2023 The tree-filled Le’h Parc in Dudelange will resound with good tunes and good vibes. A fantastic opportunity for all the family to enjoy a sweet summer evening of music. bit.ly/summerstage2023

146

bit.ly/kinnekswiss

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 146

17/05/2023 11:47

CINEMA

AGENDA

SUNSET CINEMA In various cities All summer long Giant open-air cinema screens will be set up in various cities across the country, so everyone can experience cinema under the stars! sunsetcinema.lu

KINO BEIM SCHLASS Sanem From 31.05 to 04.06.2023 Experience the 7th art in the open air in the courtyard of Sanem Castle. For five evenings, watch a selection of films in this romantic setting. A unique opportunity not to be missed.

OPEN-AIR CINEMA Luxembourg City July & August 2023 Every year, the square in front of the Grand Ducal Palace, as well as other squares in Luxembourg City, will come alive with open-air film screenings. Get ready to discover (or rediscover) the classics of international cinema. bit.ly/vdl-cinema

WATERWALLS FESTIVAL Esch-sur-Sûre From 10.06 to 10.09.2023 For the 2nd WaterWalls Festival, a cultural event which puts a spotlight on the principles of the circular economy, the municipality of Esch-sur-Sûre will be exhibiting autonomous and participative artistic installations along the Sûre river, forming an ephemeral art trail. culture.lu/appels/1288

KONSTFESTIVAL Lellingen From 16.06 to 25.06.2023 For a few days, the village of Lellingen will be transformed into a lively and colourful art gallery (featuring acrobats, theatre, exhibitions) in the open air. Known well beyond the borders of the Grand Duchy, the festival attracts more than 5,000 visitors every year. konstfestival.lu

MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL Vianden Castle From 29.07. to 06.08.2023 For nine days this summer, 100 people will fully embrace the rhythm of medieval life. From fire and combat shows, to acrobats, minstrels and birds of prey demonstrations, there’s something for everyone! A guaranteed trip back in time for all ages. bit.ly/castle-vianden

147

F E S T I VA L S

kinobeimschlass.lu

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 147

17/05/2023 11:47

IN NUMBERS

Luxembourg’s Klimapakt (Climate Pact) is a co-operative agreement between state and municipality aimed at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, based on a law that came into force on 1 January 2013. Municipalities that sign up to the Climate Pact commit to implementing energy and climate policy measures based on the European Energy Award (eea) programme. An energy and climate profile is drawn up for each participating municipality, which is then used as the basis for defining a municipality-specific action plan, to help the municipality establish a more sustainable energy, transport, climate and environmental policy. At the centre of the eea is a catalogue of 64 measures in six categories, the implementation of which is reviewed and evaluated by external auditors. In return, the Luxembourg Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development provides the participating municipalities with financial and technical assistance. As a national structure for promoting a sustainable energy transition, the Klima-Agence (climate agency) is the main point of contact and responsible for, among other things, providing the technical assistance. Partner organisations – Centre for Ecological Learning Luxembourg (CELL), environmental consulting organisation EBL, Inspiring More Sustainability (IMS Luxembourg) and Klima-Bündnis Lëtzebuerg climate alliance – also provide the participating municipalities with assistance. Luxembourg’s Climate Pact 2.0, launched in 2021 and is scheduled to run until 2030.

148

TEXT

Stéphanie Krischel

A PAC T TO HE LP SAV E T HE C LIM AT E

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 148

17/05/2023 11:47

IN NUMBERS

LUXEMBOURG AIMS TO REDUCE ITS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY

ACROSS EUROPE, OVER

1,789

55%

BY 2030 (IN COMPARISON TO 2005 EMISSION LEVELS). (KLIMA-AGENCE )

MUNICIPALITIES (76 MILLION CITIZENS), ARE NOW PARTICIPATING IN THE EEA. (AS AT JULY 2023, EEA NATIONAL OFFICE)

4 25 LUXEMBOURG HAS SET ITSELF THE GOAL OF INCREASING THE SHARE OF RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN FINAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION TO

BY 2030. (KLIMA-AGENCE )

JUST REPL ACING OLD STREET LIGHTS WITH LED LIGHTS CAN REDUCE ELECTRICIT Y CONSUMPTION FOR STREET LIGHTING BY UP TO

THERE ARE CURRENTLY

CLIMATE PACT CERTIFICATION LEVELS: 40%, 50%, 65% AND 75%, THE “GOLD” LEVEL.

CLIMATE ADVISORS WORKING WITHIN THE FR AMEWORK OF THE CLIMATE PACT. EVERY CLIMATE PACT MUNICIPALIT Y IS ENTITLED TO THE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE OF A CLIMATE ADVISOR . (AS AT APRIL 2023, KLIMA-AGENCE )

1 PLACE IN

THE CATEGORIES OF MEASURES IN WHICH THE PARTICIPATING MUNICIPALITIES WERE ON AVER AGE MOST SUCCESSFUL : MUNICIPAL INFR ASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES, FOLLOWED BY THE MEASURES IN THE MOBILIT Y, INTERNAL ORGANISATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CATEGORIES. (KLIMA-AGENCE )

149

80 %

THERE ARE

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 149

17/05/2023 11:47

A SK T H E FA R M E R

QUE S T ION S A B OU T

AG R IC ULT UR E ?

Questions – from amusing to...worrying!

One child’s question of whether a human would turn into a pig if they had a pig’s heart put inside them could well be deemed ‘funny or entertaining’. As could one group’s answer to what the code on eggs means: “It’s the egg’s insurance number or phone number.” However, when the youngsters are quick to correctly name a persimmon or a mango, but have difficulty identifying local leeks, this is deemed ‘serious or concerning.’ Likewise when they ask in all seriousness what an egg or grain actually is. Not to mention the visible shock and amazement of some children when they learn that milk, cream and butter all come from the same source.

Knowledge and appreciation

Increasingly fewer people know much, if anything, about food grown here in Luxembourg. We buy

Their questions are expertly answered by the Fro de Bauer team, who all work in the agricultural sector. As part of the Fro de Bauer project, Joëlle, Lynn and Camilya teach around 116 ‘Cycle 4’ classes (ten and eleven-yearolds) all about pigs, chickens and grains – three times a year, with a two-hour session held each term. In the first term, the focus is on cow’s milk, beef and the annual agricultural calendar. In the second term, the spotlight turns to chickens, pigs and crops. The children learn about farmers and labels in the third term. The aim is to provide children with an insight into agriculture in Luxembourg and to raise awareness of the important role that agriculture plays in our countryside and in keeping our fridges full. The cherry on the awareness cake is undoubtedly a visit to a farm at the end of the year. The project is run by ‘Lëtzebuerger Landjugend a Jongbaueren’ (Luxembourg’s rural youth and young farmers organisation), with the support of the Luxembourg Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development.

150

TEXT PHOTOS

Stéphanie Krischel Anne Lommel

What actually happens in the fields? Why do eggs have numbers on their shells? Do cows produce milk all year round? School children can ask all their burning agriculture-related questions at Fro de Bauer.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 150

17/05/2023 11:47

A SK T H E FA R M E R

OUT AND ABOUT

Fro de Bauer is also active outside the classroom. Every two years, the Fro de Bauer team can be found in Luxembourg City at the ‘Bauerenhaff an der Stad’ (Farm in the city) event, and annually at the ‘Foire Agricole’. In addition, children and adults alike can ask any questions about agriculture all year round on the Fro de Bauer website. Schools can register their Cycle 4 classes by reaching out to: fro@frodebauer.lu.

For more information, visit fro-de-bauer.lu

151

our groceries from the supermarket all year round, including out of season. They always look the same in terms of shape and size. And we don’t question it. For Joëlle, it’s therefore essential that we teach people — and especially children, the consumers of tomorrow — to understand the importance of homegrown food and its connection with nature. Lynn talks about the multitude of negative issues that children quiz her on: why calves are separated from their mothers; why pregnant pigs are kept in barred metal crates (farrowing crates); factory farming etc. Her aim is not to judge, but to educate, as there are reasons behind every process. What’s more, people tend to get a lot of their information from the media, which doesn’t necessarily apply to small-scale agriculture in Luxembourg. “It’s about appreciating agriculture as an industry that provides us with our food day in, day out,” says Camilya. The high demand for Fro de Bauer’s sessions from teachers speaks volumes about the popularity and necessity of the project. Registration for the coming academic year is already open, with waiting lists anticipated.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 151

17/05/2023 11:47

IN THE GARDEN

A COLOUR F UL

PATC HWOR K OF C ROPS

TEXT PHOTOS

Stéphanie Krischel Anne Lommel

A wide variety of both conventional and special crops grow in the Kesseler-Thinnes family’s field in the Wahlhausen/Weiler/Beaufort area. Some are particularly striking in summer, with spectacular stalks and beautiful blooms.

We’re talking about the dahlias, gladioli, wildflowers, sunflowers, lilies and crocosmia in bloom on the approximately one hectare of land off the CR322 road between Parc Hosingen and Putscheid, where flower-lovers can come and pick their own, fresh from the field. Payment can be made on-site, in cash or by tap and pay with your smartphone. The inspiration behind Christophe and Carine Kesseler-Thinnes’s decision to branch out into growing outdoor flowers alongside their conventional arable crops – barley, maize etc. – came from pumpkins, which they had been successfully growing and selling for quite some time. Today, it is mainly butternut squash, Hokkaido, ornamental pumpkins and Muscat pumpkins (a newcomer to the field this year) that grow on 50 ares of land. The majority of these pumpkins and squashes are sold locally in Putscheid and Eppeldorf (using the same payment system).

A venture into outdoor flowers

A learning curve

There’s certainly never a dull moment in the flower field! In the first year of the Kesseler-Thinnes’s flower venture, their sunflowers shot up way too high. You’d have needed a ladder to cut them high enough up to fit them in the boot of your car! The sowing density of the sunflower seeds had been too high, resulting in the

152

The flowers lining the road are already heading into their third summer. The bulbs spent late autumn and

winter dry, cool and dark in storage boxes. In mid-April, the family uses their old potato planter to plant them – machinery they’ve adapted themselves specifically for this purpose — because special crops need special machinery and a good helping of inventive genius. The wildflower and sunflower seeds are sown in mid-May. The different flowers regularly change location within the field to prevent excessive pest pressure as no pesticides are used. The family are also planning to use machinery in the future for weeding, at least on easily accessible plots. For the moment, though, weeding is still carried out by hand which is a laborious task.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 152

17/05/2023 11:47

IN THE GARDEN

plants growing too tall as they competed for light. The following year, the family adjusted the sowing density, but the main problem that year was drought. The result: rather short plants. The flower field does not get watered. Instead, covering the open ground with straw has proven an effective protective measure against the ground drying out too quickly at the height of summer. In the second year of their venture, the family decided to divide the field into smaller strips and to adapt the roadside verge for approaching cars.

A successful system

Speaking of sheep... Shropshire sheep are particularly good landscape managers, especially on fields of Christmas trees. Unlike their relatives of other breeds, Shropshire sheep do not eat the shoots of coniferous trees, but instead concentrate on grazing on the grass area.

Frësch vum Flouer

153

The family are constantly ‘learning by doing’, to establish what works best and how their special crops behave in all weathers. An approach that will work only if you’re passionate about horticulture and about growing and selling local crops. The pick-your-own system has proven successful for Carine and Christophe. It’s also a system that’s worked well for their winter Christmas tree sales near Beaufort. The family’s Christmas trees grow on about 40 ares, under the watchful supervision of

three Shropshire sheep. Every Saturday during Advent, customers can come and choose their own tree, which is then cut down for them to take home for Christmas. This avoids a surplus of trees that are cut down but go unsold.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 153

17/05/2023 11:47

XXXXXXXXXX

U PC YCL E

YOU R . . . FOOD?

Kirsty von Boch

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that one-third of food produced annually worldwide goes to waste.1 We can all do our part to reduce this number. It’s time to get creative with leftover ingredients! You are probably familiar with the concept of upcycling clothes and furniture, but have you heard of upcycling food? The idea may sound slightly questionable, but amid increasing awareness around food waste, this approach is gaining momentum both in the kitchen and across the food industry. Upcycling food is a sustainable way to reduce waste and create delicious, nutritious meals from ingredients that would otherwise be thrown away. It is easy, cost-effective, reduces your carbon footprint and encourages culinary creativity. The industry is catching on, using leftover vegetables, fruit and nut pulps to create everything from baked goods to pasta. And you can upcycle food at home, too. Have you ever made breadcrumbs out of stale bread, or soup from vegetable scraps? If so, then you’re an upcycler! There are many delicious ways to upcycle leftover juice pulp. You can add it to muffins for extra fibre, save it to make vegetable stock, or jazz up a homemade hummus with it. This Veggie Pulp Hummus is very simple to make and has plenty of fibre. Carrot and beet pulp gives this classic dip a colourful twist. Get inspired and experiment with other vegetables too!

bit.ly/kachen-fwf

154

TEXT & RECIPE PHOTO

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 154

17/05/2023 11:47

SUSTA I NA B I L I T Y

V E G G I E PUL P

HUMMUS Serves 6 10 minutes

› 100 g leftover veggie pulp (e.g. from beets, celery, carrots) 400 g chickpeas, drained 1 lemon, zest and juice 2 tbsp tahini 1 clove of garlic A generous pinch of salt and black pepper › 40 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

› › › › ›

1 Place all ingredients except for

155

the olive oil in a food processor. Blend until smooth. 2 Drizzle in the olive oil and then continue blending. 3 Taste and season with more salt or lemon juice if needed. Add a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 155

17/05/2023 11:47

GREEN KITCHEN

S POT LIG H T ON . . . F OOD L A B E L L I NG

Food labels contain both voluntary information and information that is mandatory by law. Some mandatory information is regulated in the European Union in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011. From the name of the product to the list of substances that may cause allergies or intolerances, and from the list of ingredients to nutritional labelling, best-before or use-by dates and information on origin – all this information must be included on the label. Product claims that mislead the consumer or promise a medicinal effect, for example, are not permitted.

Quantities

While food manufacturers are obliged to list the ingredients in their product, they do not have to indicate the exact quantity of each ingredient — unless, that is, the ingredient is visually represented, i.e. named or featured in an image on the packaging. For example, if the prod-

uct is called ‘marinated seeded bell peppers, stuffed with cream cheese’, the proportion of bell peppers and cream cheese must be indicated on the packaging. Ingredients are generally listed on the label by descending order of weight. It’s often useful to know that the ingredient listed first makes up the largest proportion by weight.

Special provisions

What we probably don’t immediately think about when it comes to food labelling are the special provisions that are put in place in times of crisis, e.g. during wars, conflicts or global health pandemics. If a crisis causes a shortage of raw materials (as is currently the case with sunflowers) and the producer has to temporarily alter the composition of their product, they can do so without having to change the entire packaging stock. That said, all product information must still be visible to the consumer, as required by the European Commission.

156

TEXT PHOTO

Stéphanie Krischel Anne Lommel

Numbers, logos, labels, dates, codes – there’s a lot of important product information on the packaging that our food comes in. In the coming issues of KACHEN, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of this information.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 156

17/05/2023 11:47

ADVERTORIAL

S AV I NG E N E RGY IN T HE K ITC HE N

Preparing good food means spending a great deal of time in the kitchen. It’s therefore important to know (and follow!) certain rules to use appliances intelligently and avoid unnecessary energy consumption.

For energy-efficient cooking

• Choose the right size pan for the size of your hob: too • • •

NOW

small and you’ll waste heat and energy; too big and it’ll take too long for your food to cook. Pans should have a flat bottom and a tight-fitting lid, to prevent too much heat from escaping. Switch off the hob before the end of the cooking time (10 minutes for vegetables or rice) and use the residual heat to finish cooking your food. Do the same when cooking food in the oven. Preferably use a glass lid, so that you can keep an eye on the food without having to keep lifting the lid.

It’s fine to use a dishwasher, as long as you use it properly!

• When you choose the right model and programme, your • •

dishwasher will consume less water and energy than washing up by hand. Opt for a model with an A or B energy label and use the ECO function to save energy. Only put the dishwasher on when it is full. Avoid rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

Keep your fridge away from heat!

• If you’re in the process of designing your kitchen, remember to position your fridge well away from your oven. • Wait for hot food to cool down before putting it in the fridge. • Make sure you store food appropriately on each •

dedicated shelf, so that you can quickly and easily find what you’re looking for. You can save 15% energy when you increase the temperature of your fridge from 5°C to 7°C.

Make full use of your oven

• If you have a fan oven, use it to cook food simultaneously on more than one level. • Remove any baking trays that you don’t need from the • Pastries, roasts and casseroles can all be cooked without oven, as heating them consumes additional energy. lets-save-energy.lu/en

157

preheating your oven. Preheating is only rarely required (even though it is often written in recipes).

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 157

17/05/2023 11:47

10 REASONS

10 R E ASONS TO G E T SW IMMI NG AG A I N !

TEXT

Sarah Braun

Swimming is not just a summer sport, to be enjoyed on holiday, but an all-round great sport all year round! Not convinced? Then here are 10 good reasons why.

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 158

17/05/2023 11:48

10 REASONS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Swimming increases your life expectancy. A recent study in The International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, which studied two groups of men – one sedentary and one that swam regularly – found a 50% lower risk of death in the second group. Swimming lengths helps you stay in shape. One hour of low to moderate intensity swimming burns between 400 and 900 calories. If your aim is to lose weight, 40 minutes of swimming three to four times a week is recommended. Swimming tones your whole body. It is an effective way to work all the muscles in your body, gently and deeply, thanks to water resistance. Swimming boosts your circulation. When you swim, your muscles alternate between contraction and relaxation, which promotes the flow of blood to the heart. Add the massaging effect of the water on top, and the appearance of your skin will improve significantly – and quickly – with less cellulite forming as a result! Zero impact on the joints. As the human body floats in water, swimming allows you to move without any risk to your joints. Some people who have difficulty moving on ‘dry land’ find that they can easily perform 80% of movements in the water! Swimming is an excellent sport for people with joint pain, those who are overweight and pregnant women. Guaranteed to cool you down and refresh you – just what you need in hot weather! You’ll sleep like a log. Swimming regulates your circadian rhythm through energy expenditure and endorphin release. Swimming helps relieve negative tension and better manage your emotions, thanks to the endorphins you release during your swim. What’s more, the water will also have a relaxing effect on you! You won’t get bored! Between breaststroke, crawl, backstroke and butterfly, there’s plenty of variety! And for some extra fun (and speed) pull on a pair of flippers!

159

Swimming is for everyone. Whatever your age, body type, fitness level or budget, swimming is a sport that’s accessible to everyone. All you need is a swimming costume or trunks, goggles, and possibly a kickboard and flippers, and you’re good to go – or swim!

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 159

17/05/2023 11:48

MINDFULNESS

YOUR DIE T:

H E AT WAV E S T Y L E ! When the thermometer hits 40°C in the shade, it’s important to know what to do to cope with the heat and protect yourself…and that includes eating and drinking the right things, the right way. Read on for our top tips!

Stay hydrated!

The number one rule when a heatwave strikes is: Stay hydrated! Make sure you drink between 1.5 and 2 litres of water (and only water!) a day. But that’s not all: To prevent dehydration, it’s a good idea to eat fruit and vegetables with a high water content – melon, watermelon, cucumber, peaches and strawberries, for example. These cover 25% of your fluid intake. Think tomato and cucumber gazpachos and fruit salads – not only are they wonderfully refreshing, but they’re also rich in vitamins and nutrients! Do not make the mistake of enjoying an ice-cold drink to quench your thirst! This is not an effective way to quench your thirst or to hydrate your body: The optimum temperature for drinks is between 12°C and 14°C. Add salt to your food – in moderation, of course. While too much salt in your diet can be bad for you, when consumed in moderation it can help deliver water to your body’s cells, and thereby prevent dehydration. If you suffer from high blood pressure, water retention or circulation problems, be sure to ask your doctor for advice. Avoid diuretic drinks like alcohol, tea, coffee and fizzy drinks, as well as certain fruits and vegetables like fennel, asparagus, mango and artichoke.

Change your eating habits

160

In the intense summer heat, you’ll often find that you aren’t as hungry as usual, and that’s totally normal. However, it’s still important to eat! Your body needs the energy it gets from food to be able to cool down and maintain a body temperature of 37°C. Eat little but often to prevent your body from having to expend needless energy digesting heavy meals. Avoid fatty, sugary and processed foods, as these are also difficult to digest and clog up your body. Instead of meat, throw some seasonal vegetables (aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes) on the barbecue, and serve with protein bombs like pulses and dried vegetables. Instead of ice cream, opt for a homemade low-sugar sorbet or a fruit juice slushy. And instead of baking, boiling or frying fish, white meat and vegetables, get steaming – it’s the best way to preserve their vitamins and nutrients.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 160

17/05/2023 11:48

POKE BOWL VS BUDDHA BOWL Are you #teampoke or #teambuddha? Think they’re the same thing? Then think again! While one is a healthy one-bowl meal inspired by a Buddhist tradition, the other is a marketing salad with dubious eco-friendly credentials. Here’s everything you need to know about these two popular dishes.

Buddha bowls: the local, healthier alternative

Buddha bowls boast a mix of raw and cooked grains, pulses and vegetables, inspired by the vegetarian diet of Buddhist monks. They’re usually made with quinoa and seasonal raw vegetables. Hummus is a popular accompaniment. “They’re a better choice: Quinoa is lower in carbohydrates and has a low glycaemic index, and hummus is a great source of carbohydrates, protein and fibre. They’re a fantastic meal from a nutritional point of view,” says Virginie Di Tore.

Poke bowls: homemade is better

If you still fancy a poke bowl every now and then, simply make your own. This will enable you to control exactly how much of what goes in it. Instead of short-grain white rice, use basmati or whole-grain rice. Make sure your poke bowl is well balanced: Both salmon and avocado, for example, are rich in Omega-3 and high in calories. If you want to add avocado to your poke bowl, replace the salmon with prawns, which score low on fat. If you want to add seeds and nuts, then no more than 5 or 6. If you want to add a little tartness, pop in a quarter of a Granny Smith apple. And instead of drowning your poke bowl in sauce, play around with some spices: paprika, chilli, curry... for a guaranteed delicious dish! “One last tip: Season your poke bowl with cider vinegar – this will lower the glycaemic index. Mix in some soy sauce... And ta-da! A tasty poke bowl that doesn’t blow your calorie budget!” says Virginie Di Tore.

161

It’s Sunday evening and you don’t feel much like cooking. You reach for your phone and browse the food delivery apps. Dinner can come to you today! You’re tempted by a burger... But, no, it’s almost summer and you’ve got your bikini body to think about! So, you’ll be good and you’ll get a poke bowl instead. A nice healthy dinner. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... it isn’t. It may look fresh and healthy, but the colourful Hawaiian poke bowl is anything but. “People often think that healthy meals are also low in calories, but that’s not necessarily the case. A healthy meal may be packed with a variety of nutritious foods, but that doesn’t necessarily make it low-calorie,” explains nutritionist Virginie Di Tore. “Some of my patients come to me because they can’t understand why they’re putting on weight when all they’re having for lunch is a poke bowl. A poke bowl can easily contain 1,000 calories per serving – that’s half an adult’s recommended daily intake in one meal alone! And before they know it, they’ve exceeded their calorie limit for the day!” Poke bowls, which contain white rice, fruit, vegetables and some protein, are, in fact, a sugar and fat bomb: The extra-white rice has a very high glycaemic index; avocado, tuna and salmon are very high in fat... Add to that salty pickles, a peanut butter or tahini-based sauce... When you look more closely, it’s easy to see just why poke bowls are far from good for the waistline. Foods like avocado and mango that have often crossed the Atlantic to reach your plate and farmed salmon full of antibiotics make poke bowls an even more controversial dish. Not, therefore, quite as eco-friendly as you may first think.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 161

17/05/2023 11:48

BETTER LIVING

5 PL A NTS

TO COMBAT WAT E R R E T E NT ION Do your legs feel heavy? Like tree trunks? Then you could well be suffering from water retention – a common health issue often caused by a hormonal imbalance and aggravated by too much salt, a sedentary lifestyle and hot weather. But don’t worry, there are several natural remedies that can help you alleviate it.

We recommend regularly consuming specific plants known for their diuretic and draining properties. A word of caution though: The ‘draining’ claims made by some brands of nutritional supplements are not actually based on any proven scientific data. The diuretic properties of certain plants, on the other hand, have been known for centuries and can have a real effect on water retention!

NET TLE

DANDELION

ASH

The star of draining plants thanks to its triple action on the kidneys, liver and skin. It helps eliminate waste and water that can clog up the body. Preparation: Infuse 4 g to 10 g of dried leaves in 150 ml of boiling filtered water. Recommended dose: 2 to 3 cups per day.

CHERRY STEMS

They facilitate kidney activity and increase urine production, thereby promoting the elimination of water and toxins. Preparation: Infuse 10 g of cherry stems (fresh or dried) in 500 ml of cold filtered water. Recommended dose: 3 cups per day.

Thanks to its mineral and trace element content, it promotes the elimination of urine and toxins, combats water retention and detoxifies the body. Preparation: Infuse 1 level tablespoon of dried nettle leaves per cup in 150 ml of simmering filtered water. Recommended dose: 3 cups per day. It is known for its diuretic properties, thanks to its high mannitol and potassium salt content. Ash stimulates the elimination of water and toxins, and contributes to the healthy functioning of the urinary tract. Preparation: Infuse 2 teaspoons of dried ash leaves in 250 ml of simmering filtered water. Recommended dose: 3 to 4 cups per day.

HAWK WEED

This powerful active ingredient is ideal for combatting water retention as it promotes the elimination of urea and alleviates swelling of the lower limbs. Preparation: Infuse 5 g to 10 g of whole dried plant in 1 litre of boiling filtered water. Recommended dose: 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup at midday, before meals.

IMPORTANT

162

TEXT

Sarah Braun

These plants are not recommended for people with kidney disease, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 162

17/05/2023 11:48

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 163

17/05/2023 11:48

164

TEXT PHOTO

Marie Tissier Marina Spironetti

T H I N K V EGE TA B L E S! T H I N K F RU I T!®

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 164

17/05/2023 11:48

T H I N K V EGE TA B L E S! T H I N K F RU I T!®

E NR ICO C R IPPA

A G A R DE NE R OF GOOD TAS T E Regularly feted as one of the best gourmet vegetable In addition, Enrico Crippa and his team grow organic and restaurants in the world by ‘We’re Smart’, Piazza Duomo biodynamic vegetables in Piazza Duomo’s very own vegein Alba, south of Turin, has had further cause to celebrate table garden, comprising a 3-hectare plot and a 400-m2 this year as it marked its 18th anniversary on 5th May. greenhouse. “I go into the vegetable garden every morning Piazza Duomo is run by Chef Enrico Crippa, who to check for myself how the plants are doing and to decide has three Michelin stars to his name and a real passion which vegetables or flowers to use in my dishes that day,” for nature. A passion instilled in him as a child by his he says. “Today, 80% of the vegetables the restaurant uses family in his native Lombardy, where he inherited his come from our garden. I grow local and international varilife-long love of cycling the roads of Italy eties that reflect my culinary experiences from his father; of markets and healthy, abroad, especially in Japan.” locally produced food from his grand“The garden gives us So, how does Enrico Crippa adapt Piazza Duomo’s daily menu to his homesomething new every mother; and of growing vegetables from grown produce? day. That fascinates his grandfather. “The garden gives us something new and inspires me.” After studying hotel management, every day. That fascinates and inspires Enrico Crippa went on to train under one me. At Piazza Duomo, we don’t have an à of Italy’s most famous chefs: Gualtiero Marchesi, in Milan. In 1996, Marchesi sent him to Kobe, la carte menu, but rather tasting menus: ‘Il Viaggio’ and Japan, to open a restaurant. During his time there, Enrico ‘Barolo’. We look at these menus each day and adapt them Crippa learned a new way of presenting nature on plates, depending on the availability of ingredients. ‘Seasonal embracing aspects and influences of Japanese culture Things’ is our latest menu, launched in May in honour of that enabled him to develop his culinary imagination and our 18th anniversary. This is a carte blanche menu that focuses on seasonality and draws exclusively on whatever that continue to inspire his creations today. Back in Italy, he met the Ceretto family, with whom ingredients are available in our vegetable garden that he co-launched the Piazza Duomo restaurant project in day. You can’t get any fresher than that!” Alba in 2005. In 2006, he earned his first Michelin star, For this lover of flavour and precision, each dish is a work followed by his second in 2009 and his third in 2012. of art. His ‘Insalata 21... 31... 41... 51’ is the best proof of this.

PIAZZA DUOMO 4, Piazza Risorgimento — 12051 - Alba/Italy Tel. +39 / 0173 366 167

165

piazzaduomoalba.it

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 165

17/05/2023 11:48

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 166

17/05/2023 11:48

T H I N K V EGE TA B L E S! T H I N K F RU I T!®

PA NN A COT TA M AT I S S E

For the panna cotta base

› › › ›

270 g fresh milk 350 g cream 70 g granulated sugar 1/4 vanilla pod

The panna cotta 1 Combine the ingredients for the

5 minutes + cooling time

For the panna cotta

› 400 g panna cotta base › 1.3 g agar agar

For the fruit sheets

› 1 kg of fruit pulp, choice of:

green peas, pineapple, mango, raspberry, strawberry, apple, blackberry, peach › 100 g glucose powder

2 Once cool, turn the panna cotta

out onto a cutting board and divide it into the portions.

Once the sheets are dry, break them into irregular shapes, no larger than about 2 cm.

The fruit sheets 1 Combine fruit pulp puree with

Plating 1 Place the panna cotta on a plate,

glucose powder and mix lightly.

2 Thinly roll out the resulting

mixture onto a Silpat sheet and dry in the oven for 3 hours at 50°C.

rehydrate the fruit sheets in cold water for a few seconds and layer them on the panna cotta, separating the colours well.

167

RECIPE PHOTO

panna cotta base and bring to a boil then strain the panna cotta and let it cool. Add agar agar to the panna cotta base and bring it to a boil, pour the mixture into moulds and refrigerate. We prefer to use very thin moulds.

5 minutes

Enrico Crippa Letizia Cigliutti

Serves 4

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 167

17/05/2023 11:48

HOTEL PORTRAIT

SWA P S T R E S S F OR V I TA LI T Y

As soon as you step through the doors of this luxury fivestar hotel, it hits you: an overwhelming, blissful feeling of zen. From the smiling faces of the attentive staff to the stylish ambience that radiates throughout the hotel (everything is designed in line with Ayurvedic principles), to the tantalising dishes served to guests every day. Because at Ayurveda Parkschlösschen, the motto is: Food is medicine. Not the kind of medicine that conjures up images of children grimacing as they’re forced to take disgusting cough syrup. Quite the opposite!

Regulate digestive fire

Chef Sascha Weber, who has been at the Parkschlösschen for over 25 years, constantly strives to incorporate six different ‘rasa’ (Sanskrit for ‘taste’) into every single meal: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent.

“I don’t even think about it anymore,” he says with a smile, but for his team, composing such dishes is a “process they need to learn in order to understand.” And that takes time. “You have to be flexible and patient and allow staff the freedom to experiment, within reason,” says Weber. We ask the chef what his favourite spice is, but it’s a tough question: “There are just too many! But I really like working with coriander seeds.” He uses vadouvan – an Indian spice blend with garlic and mustard roots – which is like curry, but the taste is much more intense. With a great deal of experience under his belt and plenty of ideas up his sleeve, he creates dishes like orange and semolina pudding, Sardinian couscous salad, pulled jackfruit and braised swede with cumin jus and cucumber raita. Before their meals, guests are served an Ayurvedic aperitif to strengthen the digestive

168

TEXT PHOTOS

Eva Juncker Ay ur veda Parkschlösschen

Fatty foods, gallons of coffee, constantly rushing around... Does that sound like your life? Is that how you want your life to be? How about getting away from all the stress and back to what matters, back to nature and yourself? Well, you can do just that in tranquil TrabenTrarbach in Central Moselle… at Ayurveda Parkschlösschen.

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 168

17/05/2023 11:48

HOTEL PORTRAIT

fire (agni). This drink stimulates the support of the digestive fire through the targeted addition of specific spices such as ginger and coriander.

Which dosha are you?

What guests love most about Parkschlösschen is the food. For many, it’s not their first time here – most have been before or have had an Ayurvedic treatment before. You can choose from a short weekend break, an anti-stress retreat, a yoga and meditation retreat or a Panchakarma retreat (three different options available). Whichever option you go for, you’ll kick off your treatment with de-stressing days, to get rid of all those metabolic residues! Your first consultation will be with an Ayurvedic practicioner, who will establish any deficiencies and your dosha by reading your pulse. The term ‘dosha’ describes the basic regulating forces that are at work both in nature and within us. Our dosha type is determined from birth and shapes not only our physique, skills and abilities and preferences, but also how we react to certain foods and the challenges of everyday life.

Does it work?

Following your consultation, a personal plan will be drawn up for you: massages, yoga, meals and drinks, all tailored to your particular dosha. Because Ayurveda is a holistic medicine system, the person is treated as a whole, which is essential to ensuring the treatment is a success. Within just a short time, you’ll feel infinitely better, both physically and mentally – the Parkschlösschen “does something to you.” As one spa guest puts it: “After ten days, I was a new person!” So, if you want to swap all the stress of your everyday life for more joie de vivre and vitality, then Ayurveda Parkschlösschen could be the place for you!

169

ayurveda-parkschloesschen.de

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 169

17/05/2023 11:48

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 170

17/05/2023 11:48

HOTEL PORTRAIT

V E G A N PA E LL A 30 years of Ayurveda Parkschlösschen – that’s certainly something to celebrate! And what better way to do just that than with some great recipes! To mark the occasion, the five-star hotel has published its own cookbook, featuring 30 of its tastiest classic recipes, which can also be found exclusively in our Summer TastyBox! In this issue of KACHEN, Ayurveda Parkschlösschen’s shares the recipe for its delicious vegan paella.

35–40 minutes

› › › › › › › › › ›

1 pepper 180 g courgette ½ aubergine 1 onion 1 clove of garlic 750 ml vegetable stock 180 g Kenya beans 1 pinch saffron powder (or 3 strands) ¼ tsp turmeric Olive oil 400 g parboiled rice

1 Wash the pepper, courgette and aubergine, and

6 Sauté the onion and garlic in a pan with olive oil.

Add the beans, pepper, courgette, fresh peas, aubergine, snow peas, seaweed and chilli and fry for about 5 minutes. Then add the rice, fry everything for a few more minutes and season with salt. 7 Finely purée 1–2 tbsp of the tomato chunks and set aside. Fold in the remaining tomato pieces or, alternatively, heat briefly, add a little salt and pour on top of the paella. Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley or afila sprouts and the tomato purée.

171

cut them into medium-sized cubes. Finely chop the onion and the garlic. 2 Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a saucepan and cook the Kenya beans for 8–9 minutes. 3 Remove the beans with a skimmer and rinse in cold water. Add the saffron and turmeric powder to the vegetable stock, bring to a boil once again and set aside. 4 Heat the olive oil in another pan, add the rice and sauté lightly with a pinch of sugar, a little salt, thyme and paprika for about 1 minute. 5 Pour in the saffron stock and cook the rice for about 15–20 minutes. Then sieve the stock (if there is any excess) and set the rice aside.

1 pinch of brown sugar Salt 1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped 1 tsp sweet paprika powder 100 g fresh or frozen peas 100 g snow peas 150 g soaked wakame seaweed 1 small chilli pepper, mild 1 can diced tomatoes (400 g) Parsley or afila sprouts, for garnish

To b i a s L a m b e r t i Kristina Nowoczin

› › › › › › › › › › ›

30 minutes

RECIPE PHOTO

Serves 4

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 171

17/05/2023 11:48

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

L A MAISON DANS LE PARC TALENT & CRE ATIVIT Y

In the heart of Nancy, just a short stroll from the stately Place Stanislas, stands an exquisite townhouse. A stone façade, a large entranceway with heavy wooden doors, and then a glass door, enticing you into an illuminated stone-walled corridor. A glance at the ‘Guide Michelin 2023, 1*’ and ‘Gault&Millau, 15.5/20’ signs on the façade confirms that we’ve arrived at our destination. Welcome to La Maison dans le Parc.

Since 2020, Charles Coulombeau has been the chef at La Maison dans le Parc, the restaurant he owns together with his wife Roxane, who manages the front of house. The talented young chef started his journey at an early age, very quickly carving out a successful culinary career. Excellence is his hallmark. “In my first job (editor’s note: under Michel Guérard, 2-star Michelin chef), I became chef de partie after just three months.” His first position as head chef took him to the UK, to the Relais & Châteaux Gravetye Manor, where he earned his first Michelin star. In 2020, he took over La Maison dans le Parc, and was awarded his next star and the Michelin Welcome & Service Award within a matter of months. “I was extremely proud to receive this accolade in France.” It also made him the only Michelin star chef in the entire Meurthe-et-Moselle region. With a team of 32, the chef explains how “everyone pulls together.” He is the decision-maker when it comes to artistic direction (to ensure consistency), but everything else is very much a team effort. Several apprentices work in the kitchen – “the youngest is just 14!” – who he trains and promotes. He advocates an eco-friendly approach by favouring local, seasonal products, while limiting waste. “We reuse vegetable trimmings, particularly in soups for the Restos du Cœur (a charitable association that provides meals for those in need).” In 2022, the restaurant made 3.4 tonnes of soup for the charity. In the dining room, a friendly team of 10 are always ready and willing to explain the — often cryptic names — of the dishes on the menu. “I want to give those working front of house greater responsibility and the opportunity to develop new skills. This automatically makes their job

An adventurous culinary journey

The sleek, modern dining room, with bouquets of dried flowers adding a touch of colour here and there, overlooks wooded parkland. In spring and summer, a stunning terrace with beautiful views of the park can seat up to 40 guests. This tranquil setting invites you to sit back and relax, and take your time to savour (for the more adventurous) the ‘Grand Voyage’ menu, comprising eight signature seasonal dishes. Chef Coulombeau’s menu makes no secret of his love of technical skill which, when combined with his inventiveness, has nothing less than wow factor. “I follow my instinct.” One of the starters, for example, is a seasonal product (we tried the onion) cooked 30 different ways. Simply mind-blowing creativity! In the cellar, a vast selection of nearly 800 wines from around the world are also waiting to take you on a very special voyage.

Konnichiwa creativity!

This innovative chef also likes to use ‘rustic’ produce including tongue, cheek and offal in his culinary creations. He often combines them with Japanese flavours, inspired by the two months he spent in Kaga, Japan learning from a Japanese chef who he remains in close contact with. From Japan, he brought back techniques such as ‘Ikejime’ – a method of killing fish by neutralising the nervous system. “I’ve trained all my team, as well as the owners of the fish farm where I buy my fish.” La Maison dans le Parc is driven by Chef Coulombeau’s insatiable appetite for culinary travel and guaranteed to take you on an unforgettable journey. lamaisondansleparc.com

172

TEXT PHOTOS

Marion Finzi Roza Sayfullaeva

An exceptional chef and manager

feel like more of a profession, and people are likely to value their service more.”

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 172

17/05/2023 11:48

173

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

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 173

17/05/2023 11:49

G E MINI

C A NC E R

LE O

21.05 - 20.06

21.06 - 22.07

23.07 - 22.08

You love nothing more than bringing people together. So, you’ll happily put in all the groundwork to find that perfect big and beautiful house for your holiday with your friends and family. You’ll take care of everything, from meals to entertainment. Just don’t forget to take care of yourself too!

Anxious, highly sensitive, prone to digestive problems… Sound familiar? Well, it’s time to swap your worry hat for your sun hat. Allow yourself to switch off and relax. It’s time for a summer holiday filled with good vibes, good times and good company!

Summer, sun... it’s your time (of the year) to shine! You enjoy nothing more than concocting the most impressive cocktails in the land. After all, you like to go that extra mile to delight and wow others. And all the praise and compliments you receive for it are the cherry on the cake (or in the cocktail!)

PINK COLLINS › 40 ml Mansfeld Sloe Gin › 20 ml strawberry syrup › 30 ml lemon juice › 10 ml simple syrup › Soda water › Ice › 1 strawberry to garnish

HUGO › 10 mint leaves › 20 ml elderflower syrup › 50 ml soda water › 150 ml prosecco › 5 ml fresh lime juice › Ice › Sprig of mint › Wedge of lime

PIÑA COLADA › 4 drops of lemon juice › 40 ml coconut cream › 20 ml full-fat cream › 60 ml rum › 80 ml pineapple juice › 1 slice pineapple & 1 piece to garnish › Ice

Gently scrunch up the mint leaves in your hand and put them in a large wine glass. Add the elderflower syrup and the lime juice. Fill the glass with ice and add the soda water and the prosecco. Stir gently and garnish with a wedge of lime and a sprig of mint.

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Fill a glass with crushed ice. Pour the mixture over the ice and garnish with a piece of pineapple.

Shake all the ingredients (except for the soda water) in a shaker with ice cubes. Strain the mixture into a glass filled with ice cubes. Top up with soda water and stir. Garnish with a slice of strawberry.

174

TEXT

Marie Tissier

FOODOSCOPE

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 174

17/05/2023 11:49

V IRGO

LIB R A

SCOR PIO

23.08 - 22.09

23.09 - 22.10

23.10 - 21.11

The time has finally come! Suitcases – check! Sandals – check! Fishing nets – check! Dog – check! All in and ready to go! Your holiday schedule is as packed as your car, with everything planned with military precision and no room for boredom. Just make sure you schedule in some time for relaxation too!

You simply love summer: wearing your prettiest clothes, changing your outfit three times a day, and floating from barbecue to barbecue, telling everyone about your adventures between the tomato salads and kebabs. With a glass of something bubbly in your hand, of course. Cheers!

You need to take some time out... Try to switch off and unwind, to calm that busy body and mind of yours, to relax. You’re allowed to chill out too, you know! And if the children are making too much noise, grab the earplugs...

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 think that everything is beautiful and perfect all year round. Your enthusiasm is a tonic to everyone and you’re the perfect person to spend a rainy day with. That said, your “glass half full” attitude can sometimes – albeit unintentionally – be a tad grating...

Everyone counts on you. Your patience and cool make you the mainstay of every family holiday. You organise everything, you know everything, you give everything. But what about doing something for yourself for a change?

Summer, autumn, winter... Whatever the season, you can be a bit of an ice maiden. On the outside, that is. On the inside, you’re warm and caring. Summertime is the perfect time for you to spend some extra time with the little ones and explore your fun side.

PISC E S

A R IE S

TAURUS

19.02 - 20.03

21.03 - 19.04

20.04 - 20.05

Summertime is party time for you! You can’t see a watermelon without making a sculpture out of it. You can’t get glasses out without sugaring the rims and popping in a cocktail umbrella. And you can’t get dressed for work without adding some sparkle to your outfit! Some might find it cheesy, but who cares, especially if you’re having so much fun!

The sun nourishes you with energy and enthusiasm. This summer will see you serving up impromptu aperitifs and dinners on the terrace. You’ll love spicing up your routine and being even more generous than usual. Your other half is in for a real treat!

You know exactly where you’re going this summer: back to Provence. To exactly the same place as last year. To that pretty farmhouse in the heart of the countryside, where you feel right at home. And to enjoying the region’s tasty veggie dishes with a cheeky chilled rosé!

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 175

175

FOODOSCOPE

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

17/05/2023 11:49

Peach mocktail

Mojito mocktail

Blackberry-basil Spritzer

174

Pink Collins

32 Porettenzapp mat Vinaigrette

76 Trio of dips & veggie platter

103

57 Puff pastry tart with tomato pesto

Sois Sage

58 Sweet potato crisps

Roasted pepper bruschetta

Roasted pepper soup

104 114 Vegetable sticks

Grilled chicken & millet bowl

Kiermeszopp

Basil Lime Smash

Crispy tofu bowl with soft egg

Falafel & quinoa bowl

Easy homemade flatbread

Green gazpacho

Greek pepper salad

140 Mini braided sweet bread wreaths

Red pepper chipotle tacos

Greens & strawberry salad

90 Peanut udon noodles

155 171 Veggie pulp hummus

Judd mat Gaardebounen

Piliç Topkapi

Vegan paella

70 Beef carpaccio with peanuts

176

Summer pasta with salsiccia

Limoncello Reviver

Piña Colada

Gougères (cheese puffs)

Creamy Farfalle with avocado & pine nuts

ME AT

Hugo

124 128 128 V E G E TA R I A N

DR INK S

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 176

17/05/2023 11:50

Ham & marinated veggie sandwiches

71 Prawn, tarragon & sake ceviche

Teriyaki salmon bowl

Couscous

83 Salmon tartare with avocado & quark

106 Peruvian ceviche

Orange & pistachio truffles

95 Blackberry smoothie bowl

100 Strawberry sorbet

79 Raspberry yoghurt cake

96 Blackberry traybake

94 Blackberry Eton Mess

98 Pancakes with blackberry sauce

112 167 Melon snack

Panna cotta Matisse

Baked trout with roasted almonds

Crème brûlée with chocolate

Edition

Prawn & papaya bowl

SWE E T

FISH & S E A FOOD

RECIPE DIRECTORY & IMPRINT

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Lemon melissa tart

Luxe Taste & Style S.à r.l. 4a, rue de Consdorf L-6230 Bech

Bibi Wintersdorf

Contributors Kirsty von Boch, Sarah Braun, Yannick Burrows, Marina Etchegoyen, Marion Finzi, Susanne Jaspers, Eva Juncker, Stéphanie Krischel, Anne Lommel, Heike Meyers, Martina Schmitt-Jamek, Liz Sinner, Paula Soryano, Marie Tissier, Oliver Zelt Translation

Rachel Zayer

Copy editor

Alefiya Sana

Art director

Marc Dostert

Graphic designer

Enia Haeck, Cédric Libar

Digital content manager

Yannick Burrows

Finance & logistics

Maurizio Maffei

Printer

johnen-print Luxembourg

Contact Editorial Advertising Prize draw

info@tasty.lu sales@tasty.lu win@tasty.lu

Thermomix version at kachen.lu

Dairy-free

The publication accepts no liability for unsolicited articles, photos and drawings. Reproduction, inclusion in online services or the Internet, or duplication onto data carriers such as CD-ROM etc. shall only be permitted with prior written consent from the publisher. All rights reserved. All information has been carefully reviewed. We accept no liability for the accuracy of information included.

Sugar-free Gluten-free

ISSN EAN 977-2535-8821-54

Nut-free

177

EXPLANATION Our recipes are marked with icons that show, at a glance, which allergens they contain.

Vegetarian

KACHEN No.35 | SUMMER 23

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 177

17/05/2023 11:50

T HE AU T UMN IS SUE OF

WIL L B E PUB L IS HED ON 7 S E P T E MB E R 2023

MORE ABOUT

AT WWW.K ACHEN.LU @ K ACHENMAGAZINE

00_KACHEN_2023_02_EN.indb 178

17/05/2023 11:50

hi, Big Bad Wolf wrote a review (5 may.)

2023 COLOUR OF THE YEAR

In the deep dark woods • 71 contributions • 14 helpful votes

Such a fine dish! Much more tender than Red Riding Hood’s Grandma. Plus

THE VIBRANT BEAUTY OF NATURE, THE VIBRANT BEAUTY OF NATURE, CRAFTED FOR YOUR KITCHEN.

Le Royal Hotels & Resorts • 12, boulevard Royal • L-2449 Luxembourg T (+352) 24 16 16 737 • restauration-lux@leroyal.com amelys.lu

with radiant Hibiscus empanadas or an aromatic Hibiscus galette.

Discover more than 30 colors at www.kitchenaid.lu

KACHEN_Cover_2023_02_EN.indd 2 00_Kitchenaid_ALL_.indd 3

29/03/2023 13:56

16/05/2023 09:35

SUMMER

No. 35

SUMMER DELIGHTS fresh & healthy

KACHEN

plan K

SUMMER 2023

E NG LI S H E DI TI O N

vins-cremants.lu

THE PERFECT DEAL TO YOUR MEAL

LUXEMBOURG’S FOOD & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

to be consumed with moderation

ONAL SEASCIPES RE

No. 35

13 € GERMANY, FRANCE, BELGIUM, NETHERLANDS, SPAIN, ITALY: 13.90 €

LËTZEBUERG

FOOD

LIFESTYLE

KIERMESZOPP CARLO SAUBER: PORETTENZAPP RESTAURANT PORTRAIT: OSÉ

QUICK & EASY BOWLS FEATURE: RAW FOOD APÉRO, PICNIC & BBQ

TRENDS: BABY SHOWER ALCOHOL-FREE DRINKS UPCYCLE YOUR FOOD

EUROPE: 14.50 € WORLD: 18.40 €

KACHEN_Cover_2023_02_EN.indd 1

16/05/2023 09:35