Tel Aviv as seen from Jaffa.

Most visitors enter Israel through Ben Gurion International Airport, located about 20 minutes from downtown Tel Aviv. Built of Jerusalem limestone quarried in the nearby Judean Hills, the airport is all bright and sleek with decorations worth study. Even if you are totally zonked from a long flight, look up as you walk the corridor to passport control. The mosaics above the entrance are actual remnants from 5^th and 6^th century Byzantine floors. The Greek inscription on the top right mosaic repeats a Biblical text: “Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” (Deuteronomy 28:6).

Two views of the Ben Gurion International Airport.

Archeologists define “tel “ or “tell” as a mound or hill built from layer upon on layer of different civilizations. Aviv is the Hebrew name for “spring.” The name symbolizes both the ancient and the renewed—which is particularly fitting for Tel Aviv, a city springing from one of the world’s oldest port cities and emerging as a mega modern international hub.

Located in central Israel, along 14 kilometers of Mediterranean shoreline, Tel Aviv sports first-rate beaches for summer lounging, swimming, playing, relaxing, visiting and enjoying sunshine fun.

The beach is also popular in winter.

How many ways do I love Tel Aviv, let’s start with 1,800—the number of cafes and restaurants that fill the city. Not-to-be missed food experiences include:  big, bountiful, breakfast buffets served at most hotels;  “Modern Israeli” cuisine produced by young Israeli chefs in upscale restaurants; casual fare served with coffee in coffee cafes; and Israel-style fast food (falafel and shawarma) found in street-side stands.

Lamb shawarma and chickpea falafel.

Over 90% of Tel Aviv is Jewish and the city pays attention to Shabbat (from sunset on Friday to an hour after sunset on Saturday). How does Shabbat impact tourists? Most businesses, kosher restaurants and cafes close Friday afternoon and all day Saturday, and public transportation options diminished (taxis still run). The larger hotels limit breakfast buffets to cold specialties or food that can be prepared ahead and kept warm. Some hotels have special Shabbat elevators that stop on every floor so that observers will not have to push electric buttons. The beaches are extra busy. Early Friday evening is quiet, as most residents join family and friends for a traditional Shabbat dinner (try to score an invitation, or hook up with a hotel as the Shabbat feast is as good as it gets) and after dinner, the nightclubs fill and the good times roll.

In 2003 UNESCO proclaimed the “White City” (historic zone) of Tel Aviv a World Cultural Heritage site.  The designation recognizes the city’s 3500 to 4000 Bauhaus-style buildings erected from 1920s to 1950s by immigrant architects who studied at the Bauhaus School in Germany. Interpreted for the Tel Aviv environment, the Israeli International (Bauhaus) architecture focuses on simplicity of design, inexpensive building materials, and functionality over frou frou. Most structures are two to three-story, cubic shapes with flat roofs, white walls and facades with ledges offering shade.

Many Bauhaus buildings line the lovely Rothschild Boulevard.

So let’s talk about Jaffa, which claims to be the oldest port city in the world. The old (and I am talking history dating to the Ice Age, with “modern” referenced in Greek mythology and the Bible) city officially merged with the city of Tel Aviv in 1950. Despite being a part of Tel Aviv, Jaffa remains a physical and psychological separate entity with a multi-ethnic population and shopping stops that range from the shabby flea market to super chic art galleries.

A view of Jaffa in the rain.

Tel Aviv’s walls sport an unusual amount of both graffiti and cats.

Tel Aviv graffiti.

Tel Aviv cats.

Mild Mediterranean weather, flat coastal land and dedicated bike paths throughout the city make biking a totally cool, fun, health-enhancing and cheap way to tour.

Bike rental facilities dot tourist areas in Tel Aviv.

The land of milk and honey’s cornucopia also overflows with luscious produce, so much that Israel produces over 95% of its own food and has plenty leftover for export. Israelis are creative inventors and developed new agricultural technologies to tame land unfriendly to farming. Citrus, olives, avocado, kiwi, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, dates, bananas, berries—name it—the cup runneth over.

I’ve heard Tel Aviv called the “city that doesn’t stop.” People say that the weeknight bar and club scene is like a weekend in any other city of the world, and that the weekend is like New Year’s Eve. I am told the party starts around 11 p.m. with dancing, drinking, and general merry making continuing to morning. I don’t know as I am an early-to-bed-early-to-rise type, but I have been told the town positively rocks. And I believe it—and am sure the calorie-burning dancing accounts for all those buff bodies on the beach.

And the winners for Israel’s top favorite dishes are—sharing second and third place: shawarma (spit roasted meat) and falafel (deep fried balls of ground chickpeas) both served inside a pita pocket along with tahini, chopped vegetable salads and assorted pickles. The first-place number one dish served at every hotel breakfast, every restaurant meal, every snack stand, every food outlet is…are you ready…. hummus.

There are as many variations to hummus as cooks making it. I like hummus very lemony and topped with feta as in the recipe here. If you don’t want the lemon, eliminate the zest. If you prefer a different flavor (garlic, cumin, roasted red pepper) add it. Toppings, too, are adjustable.

When it comes to the best hummus, do your own thing—make yourself happy.

HUMMUS

Yield: about 8 servings as an appetizer.

About 2 cups cooked chickpeas (see note)

1/2 cup tahini

Grated zest from 1 lemon (optional)

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Chickpea cooking liquid, as needed

Salt

Optional garnish—use any or all

Whole chickpeas

2 ounces crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Pita bread

Place the chickpeas, tahini, lemon zest and juice from 1/2 lemon in the bowl of a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add 1/4 cup olive oil to the mixture. If the hummus is too thick, or if you want a silkier texture, with motor running, add a little reserved cooking liquid and/or more oil to mixture until desired texture is reached. Add salt to taste.

Mound hummus in the center of a plate. With the back of a large spoon, create a shallow well in the mound. Drizzle olive oil over top of hummus and garnish as desired with whole chickpeas, feta, parsley and/or lemon juice. Serve with pita bread, cut into wedges

NOTE–TO COOK CHICKPEAS  Put good-quality, small dried chickpeas in a large strainer and wash under cold running water, removing any foreign matter or damaged chickpeas.  Transfer chickpeas to a large bowl or pot, cover well with cold water, add a pinch of baking soda and let soak overnight.

Drain chickpeas from soaking liquid and, again, wash well under cold running water.

Put chickpeas in a large pot and generously cover with water. Add another pinch of baking soda. Set pot over moderate heat and bring water to a low boil. Skim any foam and/or skins from top of water. Boil until chickpeas are very soft and can be easily smashed when pressed between two fingers, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Drain chickpeas (reserve cooking liquid to make hummus).

PEACE

But let’s cut to the chase.

The tiny community located in the heart of what is called, “Germany’s finest Gourmet corner,” boasts 40 restaurants. These range from wine-focused taverns to homey country inns to fine-dining establishments starred by Michelin and most offer must-try specialties.

Although the cornucopia creates the classic foodie conflict—so much to eat/so little time—not to worry. Forward-thinking Sasbachwalden restaurateurs have come up with a totally pleasing program that allows visitors to sample four different restaurants in one fine meal.

“Dinner jumping,” works like this: you reserve and prepay (65 Euros—about $84), by phone or online at least 14 days in advance of the dinner, and then pick up your dinner voucher at the tourist office when you reach Sasbachwalden. The voucher lists four restaurants, all within walking distance of each other, each serving a different course of your extravagant four-course meal. You don’t order specific dishes, but vegetarian options are available and the “surprise” menu represents the best of the chef’s repertoire using the freshest ingredients available that day.

My dinner jumping started at Gasthof Zum Holzwurm with the house-specialty Flammkuchen. The pizza-like bites of heaven served as an appetizer to the appetizer course, so as soon as I devoured the Flammkuchen I was served a generous first-course salad of greens topped with topped with vegetables and fish. Next, at Restaurant Sonne, I gobbled the second course (a rich barley risotto), before moving on to Hotel-Restaurant Engel for the main course  (perfectly cooked lamb with all the trimmings).  Dessert at the Restaurant Fallert included five exotic-flavored ice creams and mousses followed by a plate of the chef’s most divine candies and miniature pastries.  OMG. Sehr gut!

Mineral water and appropriate wine (usually the region’s famed Alde Gott) accompanied each course as did warm attentive service.

Four restaurants/four courses/flowing wine/ fabulous experience—foodies, you need to get yourself to Sasbachwalden.

For more information or to reserve, click here: Sasbachwalden Dinner Jumping.

For a sampling of the wunderbar Flammkuchen, read on.

FLAMMKUCHEN

Yield: 1 flammkuchen, 4 large pieces.

1/4 pound thickly sliced smoky bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick lardons

1 small to medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup quark

1/2 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons chopped chives

Salt

Pepper

Crust (You can use packaged thin pizza crusts, or thawed frozen pizza or bread dough or homemade pizza dough. If using dough, roll it 1/8-inch thick into a 12-inch circle.)

Start heating oven to 450°F.

Put bacon in a medium skillet and set over a moderate heat until the bacon renders its fat and just starts to brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain. Add onions to bacon fat in skillet and cook until just softened, but not browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer onions to a paper towel to drain. Set bacon and onions aside until cool.

Combine quark, sour cream and chives.

Spread mixture over crust coming to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle onions and bacon evenly over the crust.

Set flammkuchen on the bottom rack of the preheated 450°F oven and bake until the crust turns golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Beloved by St. Louisans since first opening in 1927, Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier continues to make traditional high-quality chocolates and old-fashioned confections (HALLELUJAH), but keeps current by adding contemporary flavors to its candy repertoire and innovative concepts to it’s retail outlets.

For example Bissinger’s Maryland Plaza, an outlet in the heart of St. Louis, double dips as a shop selling chocolates as well as a café serving to-die-for chocolate desserts (and wine and savories).

One can enjoy St. Louis baseball and beer outside of St. Louis via TV and bars, and one can buy a selection of Bissinger’s candies through the Internet and catalogues, but to capture the magic of the café’s divine desserts, you have to be there. Unless you score a recipe. Look below.  GLORY BE!

Dave Owens

Bissinger’s chief chocolatier, Dave Owens, created Milk Chocolate Semifreddo for Maryland Plaza and claims that the semi-frozen magic is his favorite best seller. Although Owens dresses up the café version in fancy garnish (pictured), he says that the recipe is versatile and can “wow” even if garnished with nothing more than a sprinkling of toffee, a dab of whipped cream and/or a shot of liqueur. AMEN

MILK CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO

(Adapted from a recipe supplied by Dave Owens of Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier. Although the original recipe calls for milk chocolate, the semifreddo is also fabulous when made with dark chocolate.)

Yield: 8 servings.

3 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 vanilla bean, halved or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces milk (or dark) chocolate, chopped

1-1/3 cups heavy cream

Choice of garnish:

About 8 tablespoons coarsely chopped chocolate-covered English toffee (optional)

Whipped cream (optional)

Dark chocolate shavings (optional)

White chocolate shavings (optional)

Hazelnut, amaretto or chocolate liqueur (optional)

Beat egg yolks in the top of a double boiler or in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Continue beating, gradually adding sugar until mixture thickens. Beat in milk. If using the vanilla bean, add it to mixture.

Put water in the bottom of a double boiler or a saucepan, set over low heat and let water get hot. Set  top of double boiler or bowl over hot water and, whisking constantly, cook mixture until it is hot and thickens into a custard, about 10 minutes. Do not overheat or overcook.

Remove custard from the heat and, if using, remove the vanilla bean, scraping seeds into the custard. If using vanilla extract rather than vanilla bean, add extract to custard. Add chocolate and whisk until chocolate melts completely and custard is well blended. Set custard aside to cool completely.

Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until completely combined.

Spoon the mixture into eight ramekins, chocolate dessert cups, or dessert molds. Cover with plastic or foil and freezer several hours or overnight, until mixture is frozen solid.

To serve, (if using molds, unmold onto dessert plates) allow the semifreddo to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Garnish as desired, with chopped toffee, whipped cream, shaved chocolate and/or liqueur.

Serve immediately. Expect raves.

 THE MERRION HOTEL

Upper Merrion Street, Dublin

One would think that 142 well-appointed guest rooms, a spa, swimming pool and fitness center, an impressive collection of Irish art, two gardens, two bars, two restaurants (one being Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, a Michelin two-star), and a superb location in Dublin’s city center would be enough attributes for The Merrion Hotel, but the list doesn’t begin to touch the magic of this five-star property.

Dublin is considered one of the greatest Georgian cities in the world, and The Merrion occupies four historic, red-brick Georgian townhouses dating from 1760.  Scrupulous restoration preserves the original integrity of the architecture and  thoughtful interior design helps the hotel radiate an ambiance of gracious gentility. Peat fires burn in drawing room fireplaces. Antique chandeliers light public rooms. Period furniture provides a feel of ancestral hominess.

But don’t think the Merrion is wedded to the past. The lovely guest rooms include every contemporary toy, such as Wi-Fi, flat screen TVs and multi-line phones with voicemail.

Located opposite from Government buildings and an easy stroll to restaurants, pubs, shopping, museums and a variety of sight seeing options, The Merrion provides top quality stays along with an opportunity to experience the best of Georgian Dublin from the inside out.

THE G HOTEL

Wallpark, Dublin Road, Galway

Perhaps the “g” in the g Hotel stands for Galway, the city of its location, or maybe g refers to glamour, glitz and glitter, as this five-star boutique hotel bursts with pumped-up, star-studded style.

Design director Philip Treacy used supermodels and Hollywood divas for inspiration when creating the hotel. Public rooms positively compete with each other for the spotlight. The hotel’s three themed lounges—the Grand Salon, a silver-and-cream-movie-fantasy set with a 300 dazzling mirrored balls hanging from the ceiling; the Pink Salon, a flamboyant maze of hot-flash pink and dizzy black and white stripes; and the darkly dramatic Blue Lounge—totter on the edge of kitsch. And the hotel’s restaurant is only a tad more subdued with mood lighting bringing out the brilliance of white tablecloths and neon-colored seating.

Restraint and tranquility comes into play with the spa (an oasis of quiet) and the 101 guest rooms.

Designed with a nod to Mother Nature,  guest rooms feature restful neutral colors and seaside decorations as well as all of the amenities expected in a five-star hotel.

Located overlooking Lough Atalia, and a few minutes drive from Galway’s city center, the hotel offers easy access to both city and regional exploring. The g will please those seeking both extravagant style and extraordinary substance.

ASHFORD CASTLE

Cong

Co Mayo

“A man’s home is his castle,” is not just a proverb.  In Ireland it’s a literal truth. Ashford Castle has been a home since the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family laid the first stones in 1228. Other notables calling Ashford home include Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, who bought the estate in 1852, adding acreage, roads and two large Victoria-styled extensions and his son, Lord Ardilaun, who took over in 1868, extending the gardens and rebuilding the entire west wing.

The property has traded owners happily ever after, being turned into a luxury hotel in 1939 as it remains to this day (under several different owners).

As one would expect from a true-blue castle, public rooms are no less than baronial, reflecting centuries of care in the rich oak paneling, period pieces and treasured objects de art.

In addition to the 83 classy and classic guest rooms , which differ greatly in size and configuration, Ashford Castle hosts a variety of places to eat and drink, a business center, a boutique and a health centre.

Bordered by Lough Corrib and the River Cong, and isolated on 350 acres filled with gardens, forests and glorious green land (where much of The Quiet Man was filmed), the grounds of Ashford Castle provide opportunity for a number of outdoor pursuits, including golf, fishing, archery, horse-back riding, clay-pigeon shooting and the darling of Medieval European nobles, falconry.

BELLINTER HOUSE HOTEL 

Navan, Co. Meath

Staying at Bellinter House is like staying with a quirky friend who owns a baronial country estate, employs a wonderful chef, and welcomes you to share the bounty.

The Palladian style-mansion, originally built in 1750, was renovated in 2004 and opened as a four-star spa hotel. Guest rooms fill various buildings over the rambling property and differ greatly as to size and décor, yet all contain plasma screen TV, WiFi, and an individually controlled “mood” lighting system.

By far the most fun and dramatic guests rooms are located in the Main House, as are the public rooms, which include the well-known Eden Restaurant (recipe follows), a bar, a games room and a library stocked not only with books, but also wellingtons (boots) for guests to borrow when tramping through the countryside. Well-worn wood floors, retro lighting, vintage and hand-made furniture, and some odd decorating touches (cow motifs—go figure) add to the Main House’s casual, lived-in character.

Bellinter House sits on the bank of river Boyne, in the lushly green parkland sweeps of County Meath and activities include hiking, biking, fishing, horseback riding, golf and sightseeing (important prehistoric sites as well as Trim castle, where Mel Gibson filmed Braveheart, are nearby).

BEEF AND GUINNESS STEW

(Adapted from a recipe supplied by Eden Restaurant, Bellinter house.)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

About 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into large chucks

4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon paprika

About 2 cups Guinness, divided

2 sprigs rosemary, divided

2 sprigs thyme, divided

Oil

1 large onion, peeled and cubed

3 carrots, peeled and cubed

3 stalks celery, cubed

About 4-1/4 cups jus (see note) or very rich flavorful beef stock

1-1/2 tablespoons butter

8 ounces mushrooms, halved or quartered

Cooked green beans

Mashed potatoes

Marinate beef for one or two days before making the stew.

TO MARINATE THE BEEF: Put beef in a glass bowl (or a plastic bag). Sprinkle garlic and paprika over beef and toss well. Add about 3/4 cup Guinness, one sprig thyme and one sprig rosemary; stir gently. Cover bowl or secure bag and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days, adjusting ingredients occasionally, if necessary to redistribute marinade.

TO COOK

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Drain and discard marinade from beef. Dry beef with paper towels. Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy ovenproof pan and brown beef cubes on all sides. Remove beef from pan and set aside.

Add onion, carrot and celery to pan and sauté until onion just begins to brown. Add jus to pan and stir. Add beef, remaining Guinness, rosemary and thyme. Stir gently. Bring liquid just to a boil.

Cover pan and place in a preheated 400°F oven until beef is very tender, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a skillet and sauté mushrooms until brown. Just before serving, add mushrooms to stew.

Serve stew in bowls, topped with green beans and mashed potatoes.

NOTE: Eden Restaurant makes jus by slowly simmering rich beef stock with red wine until the liquid is reduced significantly.  For this recipe you can simmer 2 quarts of rich flavorful beef stock with about 1 cup red wine until liquid is reduced to about 4 cups.

Imagine being in Phuket (Southern Thailand), boarding a yacht equipped with six luxury en-suit cabins and an attentive staff that includes a gifted cook.

Perhaps you will head off to the clear waters of the Andaman Sea—or the Indian Ocean—or the Gulf of Thailand; whatever the itinerary, it will be tailored as you desire, as will your activities. You might ask to stop for swimming, diving, snorkeling, fishing, or beachcombing on a slew of virtually virginal tropical islands, or perhaps you prefer to lounge on one of the decks and soak up the sun and then chase the sunset, always surrounded by ever-changing, spectacular scenery.

Too good to be true? No, indeed. The Siam Junk is yours for the charter.

Built in 2007, of Burmese teak and ironwood, The Siam Junk is designed to resemble the ancient sailing vessels used for centuries to carry goods between Thailand and Myanmar. The Junk’s Asian decor reinforces the ships exotic exterior providing a perfect marriage of function and style. At 113-feet long and 23-feet wide, the Junk is large enough to accommodate 12 to 18 overnight guests or up to 60 day trippers in comfort—and it is small enough to squeeze into tight passages unavailable to larger ships.

Charter The Siam Junk for the day, a week, a month or two—but once you taste the food, you will want to stay forever (that’s a promise—see sample recipe below).

In addition to charters, The Junk offers a few set cruises, many designed for photography groups and all satisfying to food lovers.

Unique, delightful, relaxing, fun—oops, as I said, I really shouldn’t talk about it too much.

THE SIAM JUNK’S

YELLOW CURRY WITH CHICKEN AND SQUASH 

Yield 2 to 4 servings.

13 to 14 ounces coconut milk

2 tablespoons yellow Thai curry paste

10 ounces skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

10 ounces butternut, acorn or pumpkin squash flesh, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tablespoon or more sugar

1 tablespoon or more of good quality fish sauce

Thai basil or mint leaves, optional garnish

Put coconut milk in a heavy wok or frying pan, set wok over moderate heat and bring milk to a simmer.  Add the curry paste and stir well. Once the curry paste has been thoroughly incorporated, bring mixture back to the simmer. Add the chicken and squash and stir well.

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

Add sugar and fish sauce until the taste is good to you.

Serve immediately garnished with basil or mint leaves if desired.

If you guessed Switzerland you are only half right.

I am in “Little Switzerland,” the affectionate name given to New Glarus, a Swiss-settled community in Green County, Wisconsin.

More specifically I am at the New Glarus Hotel Restaurant gorging on Swiss dishes and watching a fondue demonstration—but more about that later.

New Glarus isn’t new. The town dates to 1845 when immigrants fleeing a famine started arriving from the canton of Glarus in Switzerland (the real deal) to settle the Wisconsin land that so resembled their native alpine farmland. The colony became an official village in 1901 and remains the major Swiss center of North America, welcoming Swiss immigrants, upholding Swiss traditions and celebrating Swiss heritage.

So here are a few things you might not know about New Glarus and its surroundings (in no particular order):

1. In 1905, the New Glarus area sported so many cheese factories (22 to be exact) that the village was called “the cheese Capital of the World.” Production has slowed; nevertheless Green County still claims to have the largest concentration of specialty cheese factories and award winning cheese makers in the United States. The County hosts the National Historic Cheesemaking Center and a plethora of shops selling cheese as well as restaurants serving cheese-based dishes.

2. The first woman to operate a brewery in the United States was/is Deborah Carey, who with her husband Dan, opened the New Glarus Brewing Company in 1993. The brewery rocks on today and is well worth a visit.

3. At one time over 100 cheese makers around New Glarus produced Limburger cheese and the stinky stuff

Serving Baumgartner's Limburger sandwiches.

was considered so important to the community that it was used as legal tender. Today only one Limburger plant remains and that’s in Monroe, Wisconsin. The best place to try the cheese is also in Monroe at Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern, which opened in 1931 and is considered the oldest cheese store in Wisconsin. Baumgartner’s servers it’s Limburger sandwich on rye with raw onions. Talk about aroma…well, let’s not! I much prefer the scent of fondue, which brings us back to the New Glarus Hotel Restaurant.

Built by Swiss immigrants in 1853 as a rooming house for travelers, the New Glarus Hotel Restaurant now functions primarily as a restaurant serving authentic Swiss dishes and sometimes staging Swiss-style concerts, dances and even cooking demonstrations for tourists who come by the busloads.

The following recipe comes from their fondue demo led by Chef Roland Fürst. Should you like, you can add a dash of dry mustard to the recipe and it would still be authentic. Yodel-ah-ee-OOOoooo

CHEESE FONDUE

Chef Roland Furst making fondue.

Yield: About 4 servings.

1 cup plus 1/4 cup dry white wine, divided

4 cups (about 3/4 pound) shredded Appenzeller, Gruyere or Emmentaler cheese

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons very finely chopped fresh garlic

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Pinch nutmeg

About 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons Kirsch

Crusty French bread, cut into bite size cubes

Put 1 cup wine in a heavy fondue pot.

Set pot over high heat and bring wine to a gentle boil. Reduce heat so that wine simmers.

Gradually stir cheese into wine. When the cheese melts and is smooth, stir in the lemon juice, garlic, dill, pepper and nutmeg.

Combine cornstarch with remaining wine. Add to cheese and stir well. Let cook a minute or two, stirring constantly, until fondue is thick and smooth. Stir in the Kirsch.

Serve immediately with bread chunks for dipping.

I look for diners wherever I wander and recently lucked out in Manhattan, where a Roosevelt Hotel bellman, whose body said he knew food, gave me the tip. “Try The Comfort Diner,” he said. “Great place. Right down the street (at 214 E 45th).  Breakfast can’t be beat. You’ll like it.”

Lynn Septoff

And was he right! The Comfort Diner is the epitome of what I like in a diner. The ambiance, complete with both booth and counter seating, radiates a worn, unpretentious vintage charm. The kitchen produces made-from-scratch basic dishes with some upgrade touches, and, last, but never least, the staff aims to please.

The diner’s manager, Lynn Septoff, used to be the diner’s pastry chef before she burned out, now she’s upfront greeting and seating guests, schmoozing with customers and welcoming all with a big smile.

Knowing I was interested in food, Lynn suggested that I order the house specialty red flannel hash and even brought a sample taste to tempt me.

Order I did. Loved it of course. And when I moaned that I couldn’t bear to wait to next time I was in NY to enjoy it again, Lynn disappeared into the back room and typed the recipe for me.

When it comes to simple diner pleasure, the Comfort Diner is as good as it gets—and so is their hash.

COMFORT DINER’S RED FLANNEL HASH

Yield: about 6 servings.

3/4 pounds beets, (about 5 beets)

Olive oil

1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1medium red potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup diced scallions, (1/4-inch dice)

3 pounds cooked corned beef, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Poached eggs (see note)

Wheat toast (for serving)

Trim stems from beets, wrap in aluminum foil, and put in a preheated 350°F oven.  Roast until tender, about 1 hour. Set beet aside to cool and then rinse them in cool water, peel them and cut into 1/2-inch cubes; set cubes aside.

Put oil in a wok or heavy fry pan and set over moderated heat until hot. Add red potatoes and sauté, just until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove red potatoes from pan and set aside.

Add sweet potatoes and sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Remove sweet potatoes from pan and set aside.

Add more oil to the skillet if necessary and sauté onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, beets, beef and scallions to onions in skillet and sauté, until heated through and potatoes are slightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve topped with poached eggs and accompanied with wheat toast.

NOTE: TO POACH EGGS IN ADVANCE AND REHEAT JUST BEFORE SERVING

Bring a small pot of water to a full boil. Break egg into a small measuring cup. Make a whirlpool in center of the boiling water with the handle of a wooden spoon. Carefully lower egg into center of whirlpool. Reduce heat to a simmer. Let egg simmer until white is cooked and yolk is set but still runny, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon remove egg to a bowl of cold water.

Repeat with as many eggs as you need.

When all eggs are cook, one at a time lift egg from water with your hand and trim scraggly edges with a sharp knife. Put egg in fresh bowl of cold water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight.

To reheat, fill a bowl with hot water. Drain eggs in cold water and transfer to bowl with hot water. Replenish hot water if necessary. Let eggs sit until warm, then drain and serve.

Lucy says that she took the recipe from a “redneck-lawyer, rouge-gourmand friend,” gave it a twist and put it on her menu where it thrives. Today she makes it in 20-gallon batches and still has trouble keeping up with demand.

Although Lucy serves the L.A. Caviar as an appetizer, the dish would shine as a crowd-pleasing side dish at barbecues and casual family gatherings and/or as a contribution salad at potluck parties and tailgate picnics.

L.A. (LOWER ALABAMA) CAVIAR

Yield: 20 to 25 servings as an appetizer; about 8 servings as a side dish or salad.

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

1 cup chopped red onion

1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Saltine crackers or tortilla chips

1. Make dressing by combining vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a jar. Cover and shake jar vigorously to dissolve sugar. Set aside.

2. Place black-eyed peas in a large glass bowl. Add tomatoes, green, red and yellow peppers, onion and parsley.

3. Pour dressing over pea mixture and toss well to combine ingredients.

4. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours to overnight before serving.

Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Held outdoors, rain or shine, every Wednesday and Saturday from May to November (and indoors, on Saturdays, in winter), the market draws the most crowds on summer Saturdays when vendors set up about 160 booths around four long blocks surrounding Wisconsin’s majestic State Capital building.

If it were made for a movie, the Madison market couldn’t be more perfect.

Locals show up when the market opens at 6 a.m., chefs come around 7 a.m., tourists join the crowd at 10 a.m. and students drag themselves out of bed getting to the market about an hour before it closes at 2 p.m. The array creates a charming cast of thousands who stroll counterclockwise around the booths, interacting as if they were attending one big happy neighborhood party. Street musicians, laughing children and picnickers lounging on the capital’s green grounds add to the Midwest dream scene, but it is the vendors and their products that play starring roles.

Wisconsin farmers man the booths selling their own homegrown seasonal produce and farm-related products (flowers, cheese, honey, maple syrup, jams, breads, etc.).  Although everything for sale is of such high quality as to make one want to move to Madison and become a dedicated locavore, in mid-summer, particularly rave reviews go to the pick of the peak produce: tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers.

TWO BLOCKBUSTER WAYS TO USE THE BOUNTY

GAZPACHO

Yield: 6 servings.

2 large ripe tomatoes, trimmed and cut into large chunks

4 cups tomato juice

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into large chunks

1 large green pepper, trimmed and cut into large chunks

1 small onion, peeled and quartered

1 large clove garlic, peeled and put through a press

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 to 3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar

Celery salt

Salt

Pepper

Ground cumin (optional)

Croutons, for serving

Working in small batches, put tomatoes in the jar of a blender. Add a little tomato juice and blend until finely chopped, but not pureed. Transfer blended mixture to a large bowl. Repeat blending with cucumber, green pepper and onion. Add any remaining tomato juice, garlic, oil and vinegar to blended mixture in bowl. Sprinkle lightly with celery salt, salt and pepper. Add a little cumin if desired. Stir and taste. Correct seasoning. Refrigerate in a covered container until you are ready to serve. Serve chilled soup with croutons.

GREEK SALAD

Yield: 6 servings.

4 large ripe tomatoes

2 slender cucumbers

2 green peppers

4 scallions

About 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

About 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large clove garlic, peeled

Trim tomatoes and cut into bite-size chunks.

Trim ends from cucumbers. (If the cucumber skin is tough, peel it. Young slender cucumbers do not need peeling.) Halve cucumbers and remove seeds. Cut cucumbers into bite-size chunks.

Trim peppers and cut into bite-size chunks.

Trim scallions and cut white part into 1/4-inch pieces.

Put all cut vegetables in a large bowl.

Add feta and olives. Sprinkle with oregano. Toss lightly.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Meanwhile make dressing: Combine olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a small jar. Cut garlic into slivers and add. Set dressing aside until ready to serve.

Just before serving, remove garlic and pour dressing over vegetables. Toss lightly.

Serve.

From the center of Durbuy, Belgium

is large enough to have a restaurant serving what my traveling companions claim is one of the biggest taste treats in all of Belgium. Considering the nature of our trip, this is super-size praise for any size town.

I was traveling with four fellow food writers through Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, enjoying a luscious sneak preview of the up-and-coming Belgian 2012 Year of Gastronomy.

Local beer---good accompaniment to local food.

The day we landed in Durbuy for lunch (day three of our trip), we had already devoured a huge breakfast at the Auberge du Sabotier in Awenne (our previous night’s stop), followed by a generous beer and charcuterie tasting in Rochefort.

By the time we settled into Le Victoria Restaurant and Grill, I had so overindulged that I could only manage to order a small salad. My colleagues had more fortitude; they ordered grilled chicken.

Le Victoria is a pretty place with several dining areas. We chose an indoor table, near the open grill, and from my seat, I could hear the sizzle when chef Koen Timmerman put the chickens on to cook. Lured by the sound and scent, I stood to watch.

Koen Timmerman grilling chicken at Le Victoria's open grill.

One half chicken constituted an order and Koen grilled the halves, over a medium high flame, basting and turning them often, until the skins were nicely browned and crispy. He then transferred the halves to a large bowl, tossed them for a few moments in what he called a “marinade.” and sent them to the table hot, fragrant and chin-dripping juicy. The whole process took about 20 minutes.

My colleagues raved. They raved after the first bite. They raved when they finished eating. They raved the following day. And they raved at the end of the trip when asked to remember their favorite meal.

They raved so much, that as soon as I returned home, I adapted Koen’s recipe (which he had given to me in restaurant proportions and European measurements), and made the chicken for a casual dinner party. My guests raved. My husband raved. Chances are you’ll rave too.

GRILLED CHICKEN

(Adapted from a recipe from Koen Timmerman. Le Victoria Restaurant and Grill)

Yield: 4 large servings.

2 frying chickens, halved

Basting ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/2 bay leaf

Finishing ingredients “marinade”:

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

3/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put basting ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well combined; set aside.

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add remaining finishing ingredients and stir well. Set aside. If necessary reheat mixture to melt butter before using.

Set chicken halves on a grill over hot coals. Grill, brushing often with basting mixture and turning as necessary, until halves are cooked through, but not dry, and skin is well browned and crispy.

Transfer chicken from the grill to a large dish. Pour finishing mixture over chicken and turn halves over several times to coat with mixture. Serve immediately.