Main Dishes

Easy Cheese Fondue: Everything You Need to Know

November 15, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 3 Comments

Cheese fondue parties are as hygge as it gets. Master this delicious communal meal with these simple tips and tricks to throw a stellar fondue party and to make a store bought bag of fondue taste incredible.

WHAT’S CHEESE FONDUE?

Cheese fondue is up there on my list of things I love.

Fondue is a French word that translates to “melted”, so a cheese fondue is a cheese that’s melted.

A pot of it.

It’s the perfect meal to gather your favourite people around the table to dip various food items into the melty, cheesy goodness.

Like raclette and hot pot, it’s an intimate communal meal that’s special and unique. Knowing that, is it any surprise that fondue parties were all the rage in the ’60s and ’70s?

By the way, cheese fondue is just one type of fondue. There’s also meat fondue and chocolate fondue, but we’ll talk about those another day.

Also, this post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to purchase something after clicking on one of the links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

If you need more hygge in your life, you’ll want to host a fondue party! And in case you missed the hygge train, it’s a Danish mindset about creating cozy comfort. If you want to learn more about it, Meik Wiking wrote a book about hygge in 2017.

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Pork and Shrimp Burgers with a Spicy Asian Slaw

November 8, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 2 Comments

Cast-iron skillet pork and shrimp burgers bursting with rich Asian-inspired flavours.

COOKING WITH CAST IRON

Pork and shrimp burgers are one of those recipes that grills up beautifully on a barbecue, but when it’s raining or freezing outside, firing up the barbie quickly loses its appeal.

As for non-stick pans, well, there are all kinds of problems with those, which you can read about in my article on cast iron cooking.

The reason I love cooking up burgers in a cast iron skillet is that cast iron conducts heat really well and once seared, I can pop the pan in the oven and forget about it for twenty minutes while I do something else.

Have you tried cooking with cast iron yet? I swear, once you make the switch, there’s no going back. The toughest part is learning how to cook in cast iron and how to care for it.

PORK AND SHRIMP BURGERS RECIPE VIDEO

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Easy Paprika Roast Chicken for Family Dinners

October 22, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 1 Comment

When life is too busy to handle and you can’t remember the last time your kid spoke more than two words to you, it’s time to gather everyone around the table. Reconnect with your family with this juicy and flavourful paprika roast chicken. It’s easier to make than you might think!

GATHERING AROUND THE TABLE

I get it. It’s hard to round up everyone in the family to sit down to a good, hearty meal. When I was a kid, my mom was running the show by herself as a self-employed hair salon owner. She tried her best to make sure we gathered around the table, but some nights I would make Kraft Dinner for my brothers and we’d watch trash on T.V.

Some families are busy running around to-and-fro to the next extra curricular activity. Others don’t even know how to talk to each other. Every so often, I’ll go out to eat and my heart twinges with sadness for the family that’s glued to mobile devices.

With this hyper-connected world that disconnects us, it’s more important than ever to carve out time to gather around the table. Today we’re going to do it with a roasted paprika chicken dinner.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to purchase something after clicking on one of the links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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Easy German Currywurst for Oktoberfest

September 10, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 8 Comments

German currywurst recently marked its 70th anniversary, and it’s no small wonder why! This convenient and delicious street food can be found everywhere you go in Germany. No Oktoberfest party should be without it!

Eating German currywurst with chopsticks

MEET MY SPECIAL GUEST!

If you caught the video for this post or for my spätzle post, then you’ve already met my mother. That’s her in the picture below! Isn’t she radiant? Her name is Petra and she’s taught me everything I know about German food.

I didn’t think I would need her expertise in making currywurst, because it’s such a basic preparation, but as it turns out, I was wrong.

She’s been enjoying German currywurst since the ’70s and has curry ketchup in her blood. I was foolish to think I wasn’t going to learn something from her!

When most people reach for the ketchup, relish and mustard to dress their sausages, she’s the outlier with her currywurst.

Presenting German Currywurst for Oktoberfest

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German Spätzle Noodles Recipe (with bacon and toasted breadcrumbs)

September 6, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 9 Comments

German spätzle noodles are easy enough to make, but need a bit of time and elbow grease. Learn how to make this traditional German recipe with buttery toasted breadcrumbs and crisp bacon.

German spätzle noodles with toasted breadcrumbs and bacon

WHAT’S SPÄTZLE?

German spätzle noodles are a type of pasta made with fresh eggs. Spätzle is found in quite a few European countries apart from Germany, like Switzerland, Austria, and Hungary. These noodles are something I was fortunate enough to grow up with and are high up on my list of comfort foods. They made an appearance on special occasions and were usually served with beef rouladen, schnitzel, or a potful of goulash. Of course, when my mom cooks, she cooks to feed an army, so my brothers and I would be eating spätzle leftovers for days. More about what to do with spätzle leftovers later, that is, if you even have them!

SIMPLE SPAETZLE RECIPE VIDEO

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German Beef Rouladen: an Authentic Traditional Recipe (with pickles)

September 3, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 10 Comments

German beef rouladen is a traditional recipe that’s perfect for special occasions or Oktoberfest gatherings. Think thin slices of inside round rolled up with bacon, mustard, pickles, onions and seasoning that’s slowly braised until it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender. Scrumptious!

rolling german beef rouladen — `Rolling German beef rouladen`

WHAT’S GERMAN BEEF ROULADEN?

The recipe I’m sharing with you today is one that is near and dear to my heart. It’s a dish that I grew up with that was reserved for special occasions.

German beef rouladen is essentially thinly sliced inside round that’s rolled up with mustard, onions, pickles, bacon and spices. It is then slowly braised in a low temperature oven.

The end result is a tender piece of meat that practically falls apart at the slightest touch and bursts with rich flavours. It was one of my most requested meals growing up and it remains a special treat to this day.

GERMAN BEEF ROULADEN RECIPE VIDEO

If this is your first time visiting the kitchen, you’re about to find out why I call my kitchen vintage… If you like my style, please consider subscribing to the Vintage Kitchen Vixen YouTube channel!

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