Boston Baked Beans

Today's recipe comes from the United States and was sent to me by a Postcrosser in Chicago. Boston Baked Beans are common throughout the US though they originated on the East Coast in Boston during colonial times. European immigrants learned about baked beans from the Native Americans and added molasses which was imported with rum from the Caribbean then exported from Boston. Sliced hot dogs are commonly served in Boston Baked Beans throughout the US and also known as Beanie Weenies, which is a popular dish with kids. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

To make Beanie Weenies, prepare this recipe as instructed, and during the last 30 minutes of cooking, add one package of hotdogs cut into bite-sized chunks and browned in a skillet. Deglaze the skillet with some water, add to the beans, and finish cooking.

Bon Apetit and Happy Postcrossing!

Diana

Kärleksmums or Love Treats

Today's recipe comes from a Russian student in Moscow studying Swedish,. Kärleksmums is a traditional chocolate cake from Sweden. It vaguely reminds me of the espresso brownies my husband and I make, but not nearly as dense and heavy. For those of you who may be gluten-free, Pamela's Artisan Flour Blend  has works beautifully for my gluten-free cakes. *Note: I don't receive any compensation from Pamela's for the link, it is simply a personal recommendation. If you're lactose intolerant like I am, I'd also swap the heavy cream for cashew milk or even water as you would for a confectioner's sugar glaze, just use less and add in increments until you're happy with the consistency.

A bit of trivia for you, my paternal great-grandparents emigrated from Sweden to the Northern USA during the Homestead Act in the early 1900s. They were processed through Chicago and settled in Minnesota. Since then the family has moved from Minnesota to Michigan to California. From there my father moved us to Texas when I was a child. I can't find much of a history on the dessert, but I love to think of distant relatives or ancestors making this popular treat.

Here is a link for a Kärleksmums recipe:

http://www.swedishfood.com/swedish-food-recipes-biscuits-cakes/304-love-treats

Bon apetit and Happy Postcrossing!

Diana

Peppermintcrisp Tart - A Taste From South Africa

This recipe comes from a lovely woman in South Africa who not only sent me a postcard and recipe, she sent an envelope with two postcards and stamps! The postcard with the view of the sheep grazing is what the landscape looks like in her area. It is so beautiful!

This dessert sounds amazing! I adore mint and chocolate and coconut biscuits, but I've never had them together. Here in the United States I suspect Andes Mints would work quite well as a substitution for the peppermintcrisp chocolates.

Ingredients:

1 can caramel treat (360g) (canned caramel or dulce de leche in the United States)
2x 250mL cream
2x packets of tennis biscuits (any type of coconut biscuits will do)
3x peppermintcrisp chocolate (grated, +- 150g)

Directions:

• Whip cream and add caramel treat
• Add chocolate, but leave a bit for the top
• Dip biscuits in water and put in dish - one layer
• Throw a bit of cream over and then another layer of biscuits
• Repeat cream and biscuits until you end with a layer of cream, the thinner the layers the better!
• Throw the remainder of the chocolate over. 
• Put in the fridge until set. Enjoy!

This would make a fantastic Christmas holiday dessert!

Bon Apetit and Happy Postcrossing!

Diana

Pelmeni Moscow

Today's delicious recipe comes from Russia. Pelmeni is a filled dumpling, generally with meat, fish or vegetables. The recipe does not give an amount of time to boil, so I will add that generally you boil the dumplings until they float, then add an additional 2-5 minutes.

For more information on the history of Pelmeni, here is an article from the School of Russian and Asian Studies. Pelmeni History

To make it gluten free, I would simply change the flour to rice flour or use any 1:1 all purpose gluten free flour blend.

Bon apetit and Happy Postcrossing!

Diana

Chinese Fried Rice

This recipe comes from Taiwan and it is one of my all time favorites! I adore fried rice. I could probably eat it every day and never tire of it. This particular recipe is from the postcard sender's mother. Best of all? It has bacon! The postcard above is of typical Taiwanese food.

The sender says: Dear Diana, I'm so glad that you love cooking! And, I want to share my mom's home cooking recipe - Fried Rice! I love this dish! Hope you love it too! Happy cooking & postcrossing :)

Chinese Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Day old boiled rice
Minced scallions
Bacon
Carrot
Onion
Canned corn
Scrambled Eggs
Soy Sauce (I use low sodium, gluten-free)

Directions:

1. Preheat a wok to medium heat. Pour oil in the bottom. Fry minced scallions, bacon, carrot, onion, canned corn, then eggs first.

2. Add the rice to the veggie and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top. Stir all the ingredients until heated through and combined.

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I have a version I make here at my home in Oklahoma. In a large skillet, I cook diced chicken, onion, garlic, frozen peas and carrots with a neutral oil (like light tasting olive oil or canola oil) and sesame oil, then season with a little Chinese 5 spice. I then I push the meat and veggies to the edges of the pan and scramble an egg in the center, then stir in rice. Top with soy sauce, toss to combine until heated through.

Bon apetit and Happy Postcrossing!

Diana

Polish Dill Pickle Soup

Today's recipe comes from Poland. I don't have a photo of the soup (I have added one, see the bottom of the post), but I give you a photo of the postcard that accompanied the recipe. I have been meaning to make this soup since the day I received the recipe, but I keep forgetting by the time dinner comes around. It is chilly and wet at our home in Oklahoma today (56F or 13.3C), so I think it will be perfect for dinner tonight! I am going to put out all the ingredients in advance so I don't forget again. I love potatoes and dill pickles, so I know this soup is going to be a favorite! Thinking of dill pickles, if you have not had them breaded and fried, you are seriously missing out. They are so yummy!!! Here is what I received with the postcard:

Polish Dill Pickle Soup

Ingredients:

6 cups stock (vegetable, chicken or beef)
4 large dill pickles, shredded
1/2 cup pickle juice (from the jar)
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced potatoes
2 tablespoons instant flour (since I have a wheat allergy I am going to use glutinous rice flour)
1 cup milk (and since I'm allergic to milk I'll use unsweetened cashew milk)
1 egg
2 tablespoons soft butter

Garnish:
-chopped fresh dill
-sour cream
-salt and pepper

Directions:
-In a large saucepan or soup pot with cover, combine stock, pickles, pickle liquid and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered over low heat until potatoes start to get soft (about 10 minutes).
-Combine flour and milk, add to broth, bring to a boil and remove from heat.
-Combine egg and butter and stir into broth.
-Return pot to the stove and heat through without boiling. Season with salt & pepper. Garnish with sour cream and/or dill.

Hope you like it. :)

...

Bon appetit and Happy Postcrossing!

Diana

Ruth's Chile Relleno Casserole

I received this postcard through Postcrossing from a retired USPS worker from Fort Worth, Texas, which I consider my hometown seeing as my mother is in North Richland Hills and my mother-in-law is in Keller! I was so excited to receive it. The recipe was an instant favorite. I love ground beef and green chiles, particularly Hatch chiles or poblano and they are even better if you roast them yourself.

With my food allergies, my substitutions on the recipe were lactose free cheese (cheddar or Monterrey Jack are my favorites), unsweetened cashew milk, and glutinous rice flour (it's gluten-free and you can find it in Asian markets for $1 or less per pound/16 oz.). I also recommend grass-fed ground beef and local eggs, they make a world of difference in flavor.

To make the dish even heartier, I would suggest making a brown rice crust with 2-3 cups cooked brown rice, 1 egg, and 1/8 cup of shredded cheese, all mixed together then layered first in the baking dish, then top with recipe as written.

The back of the postcard states the recipe is from the Means Ranch, Valentine, Texas, from the book A Taste of Texas Ranching: Cooks & Cowboys by Tom Bryant and Joel Bernstein and printed aka copyright Texas Tech University Press 1996.

Click on the photo for a larger and clearer view of the recipe.

Bon appetit and Happy Postcrossing!

Diana