Tonight’s meal in my series of national dishes was Austrian from start to finish. The main course was Tafelspitz (beef cooked in broth) served with Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes with bacon and onion), and dessert was Sachertorte, a Viennese chocolate cake.

I have yet to get the hang of cooking beef via all-day simmering in liquid — it always comes out very very dry, but the broth and carrots from the soup were good. The potatoes were great; it’s hard to mess up potatoes cooked in bacon fat.

The Sachertorte turned out ok for how involved of a recipe it was, but my glaze was closer in consistency to hardened Magic Shell than it was to fudge. I must have cooked it to a higher temperature than it was supposed to go.  As the Austrians say, c’est la vie!

Previous Entries

• Afghanistan: Kabuli Palau
• Albania: Tavë Kosi
• Algeria: Maaqouda
• Andorra: Cannelloni Andorrana
• Antigua: Antiguan Butter Bread
• Argentina: Empanadas Mendocinas
• Armenia: Lula Kebabs and Gata
• Aruba: Keshi Yena
• Australia: Lamingtons