All posts by radiant

Madeline’s Elderflower Syrup Come True

Drinks, Regional/Traditional, , , ,

Name: Elizabeth & Madeline (Mother/Daughter Team) Hansen
Class Year: 1995
Country of Residence: Switzerland

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

My daughter, Madeline loves the local tradition in Suisse Romande of giving children home made syrup in their water as a festive drink to accompany their meals. She also loves Elderflowers. Several years ago, while recipe hunting, she realised that we could make syrup with the beautiful blooms in our neighbourhood. For some reason or another we never managed to complete the process until this contest!!! We can attest that the little effort and preparation is worth this sweet and refreshing syrup. When it is mixed into water soon after one is rewarded with a wonderful smile!

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Walnut & Roasted Garlic Tapenade

Home Cooking, , , , ,

Name: Elizabeth Hansen
Class Year: 1995
Country of Residence: Switzerland

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

This recipe is a savoury accompaniment for an Apéro which are common in Suisse Romande where we live! Or we like to use this rich tapenade for a spread for Abendbrot my husband’s German tradition for the evening meal of simple bread and bits of extras that one has on hand to fill the stomach. It’s earthy, nutty and tangy flavour is nurturing and demands to be consumed!

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Rhubarb Berry Crumble

Home Cooking, , , , , ,

Name: Elizabeth Hansen
Class Year: 1995
Country of Residence: Switzerland

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

This recipe is great because it is the essence of a spring time treat for our family. We have adapted it over time with adding in a variety of berries with the rhubarb filling. We experiment also instead of the white sugar substituting homemade strawberry sirup (sirop de fraise) as is typical to use in Suisse Romande to flavor drinks.  We can never get enough of this and rarely have leftovers.  I brought this dessert many times to the children’s potluck events and took home an empty baking dish every time!

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Dutch Alpe d’HuZes Apple-Oat-Pie

Home Cooking, , , , , , ,

Name: Mieke Kamps
Class Year: 1978
Country of Residence: the Netherlands

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

My former neighbor Alletta used to make this delicious pie for birthdays. She gave me her recipe and I continued to make it for the Dutch Alpe d’HuZes beat-cancer-cycling-training of some women friends of mine. In order to raise money for cancer research every year some 5000 Dutch people go to the French Alpe-d’Huez mountain to cycle it up and down once, twice, three, four, five or ultimately six times in one day! The Dutch word for six is “zes” hence they call the event ‘Alpe d’HuZes’, in short ‘AD6’. Since the start of the Alpe d’HuZes-event in 2005 the Dutch cancer society; KWF has received some 10-12 million euros every year from Alpe d’HuZes!!!  So, go for it!

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Masala Chicken Bread

Home Cooking, , , , ,

Name: Qudsia Ali
Class Year: 1995
Country of Residence: Saudi Arabia

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

I really like bread and testing different bread roll recipes. I have come to really enjoy the versatility of the Turkish Pogaca dough. The yogurt in this dough makes the bread nice and soft. Here I have taken a slightly spicy chicken mixture as a filling in making a stuffed bread. This recipe will make 2 large or 3 medium sized breads. This can be enjoyed with tea or eaten as a meal with a nice salad on the side!

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Clafoutis (Baked cherry custard)

Regional/Traditional, , , , ,

Name: Paula Sullivan Souloumiac
Class Year: 1980
Country of Residence: France

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

Growing up in New Hampshire, much of our summer fruit was shipped up from warmer climates boasting shorter winters. This included cherries, which, back then, were rare, expensive, and delicious. I remember my mom coming home from the grocery store with a bag of cherries. She would divide them into three bowls: one for my brother, one for my sister and one for me. My love for cherries started there.

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Cranberry Orange Sweetbread

Home Cooking, , , , , ,

Name: Corinne Morgan
Class Year: 2013
Country of Residence: United Kingdom

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

This is a recipe that was created by my great great grandmother and has been passed down through my mother’s side of the family, which has not had a son in 5 generations, so this recipe has always passed from mother to daughter. I made this recipe for a recent board gathering for the Mount Holyoke Club of Britain, where it was very popular. Upon telling my mother and grandmother about the great reaction to the recipe, they laughed and admitted to it also being their go to recipe whenever they needed to bring a food item to a gathering. Hopefully, this recipe can one day become your family’s old reliable as well.

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Gløgg (Spiced mulled wine)

Drinks, , , , ,

Name: Catherine Overgaard
Class Year: 2003
Country of Residence: Denmark

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

You may have heard recently of the Danish concept “Hygge” (pronounced hew-ga).  It’s gained quite a following around the world for its emphasis on living in cozy simplicity.  Hygge involves candles and wood stoves, book nooks and spending time with friends.  It’s about enjoying the simple things in life, really.  Though the concept can be applied year round (think beach picnics in the summer, making dinner with a friend in the fall) it is a must during the dark, very rainy winter months of Denmark. 

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Maple Syrup Sweetness Overload Pie

Regional/Traditional, , , , ,

Name: Anita Pion Selec
Class Year: 1988
Country of Residence: Bosnia Herzegovina

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

This pie is known as “sugar pie” to French-Canadians and it gives baklava a run for its money with sweetness!  This recipe has been in my family for over a hundred years.  There are many versions of this made in French-Canadian homes.  This is the simplest and the sweetest.

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Pork-and-Paprika Stew (Leskovaccka Muchkalica)

Regional/Traditional, , , ,

Name: Anita Pion Selec
Class Year: 1988
Country of Residence: Bosnia Herzegovina

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

This is the Serbian answer to the French comfort stew of ratouille.  Like most Serbian dishes, the focus is MEAT, specifically pork.  This is the ultimate fall comfort food, traditionally eaten in the late summer or fall when peppers are in season.  Thanks to the modern food supply chain, I love it in the winter.  The prep requires some time, but don’t cut out the steps, esp. cutting the onion into thin rings, somehow this makes it work better than just dicing an onion and throwing the pieces in.  This is a specialty from the Serbian town of Leskovac. You can eat this dish anywhere, from fine restaurants to truck stops. (The name of the dish is pronounced MOOCH-kah-leet-sa.)

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