Hello my Foodie Friends. For many of us, our children are out of the house and have begun their lives and careers in other parts of the country (or world). Global travel and exploring different cuisines are something that many young adults have made part of their lives.  This week our daughter is in Switzerland with some of her college friends. Based on recent research, Gen Y’s (Millennials) look to increase knowledge and experience everyday life by doing things like devouring exotic regional food and schmoozing with friendly locals.  Gen Y’s position this at the top of the to-do list for many when traveling in foreign countries.

Swiss cuisine combines influences from the German, French and North Italian cuisine. However, it varies greatly from region to region with the language divisions constituting a rough boundary outline.  Many recipes require the use of a vegetable peeler –especially since potatoes are in many recipes. 

One of our favorite and best-selling kitchen tools is the Kuhn Rikon Swiss peeler. The Kuhn Rikon vegetable peeler can be one of the mandatory items that chefs require you to come to work with and as part of the every-day kitchen. 

The Kuhn Rikon peeler has a little hole at the end, and you just loop your index finger into it, gripping the peeler with your thumb and middle finger; all you have to do to peel a vegetable is just pull. You peel 100 percent faster with this than with any other peeler.

The flexibility of this peeler is fantastic — it curves around whatever vegetable you are peeling. You can peel using the entire blade — other peelers don’t allow you to do that. It is super light. It is easy to clean because it has no nooks, and easy to store because it has the hole, so you can hang it on a hook. And this design provides the most comfortable way to peel, and you don’t have to worry about nicking the end of your fingers.  Sometimes with kitchen tools you want complex, awesome technology, but sometimes you just want the simplest thing ever, and this is it—simplicity at its best. It’s the most efficient peeler that’s out there. Many of the Chefs in the area will buy 10 at a time.  

The Kuhn Rikon Peeler helps peel fruits and vegetables effortlessly. This little powerhouse peels better than peelers that cost 3-4 times more. Ultra-sharp performance that professional chefs love.

• Carbon steel horizontal Y blade with a convenient potato eye remover. The blade starts sharper, stays sharper.

• Ergonomic design works in right or left hand.

• Hand washing is recommended

Swiss Rosti (Swiss potato pancake) is a very popular food served in Switzerland. It is a crispy potato pancake that is fit for any meal. Swiss Rosti is derived from the German word rösten, which means to roast or grill. Rösti consists of fried, shredded potatoes. That’s it. That’s the main and often sole ingredient of this easy Swiss specialty. Crisp on the outside yet soft and velvety on the inside, the simple rösti possesses a rich, complex flavor and competing textures that make it a sheer delight to eat.

Originally, rösti served as a filling breakfast for 19th-century Bernese farmers. A shared offering, it was placed on a platter in the center of the breakfast table. Using their spoons, people would cut off a piece of the patty and dunk it into a cup of weak, milky coffee. It may seem like an unusual custom, but it was one that soon caught on in other parts of Switzerland.

Rösti Thyme

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ pounds yellow/golden potatoes, boiled in salted water until just tender, peeled and grated

¾ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper

⅓ cup grated Gruyère cheese

2 spring onions, whites and 1 inch of greens sliced

Directions

1. In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat. As the butter is melting, toss together the shredded potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper.

2. Spoon the potatoes into the frying pan and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure that all the potatoes have been coated with the oil.

3. Shape the potatoes into a pancake and fry on one side until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Place a flat plate over the top of the pan and invert the pan onto the plate. Return the pan to the heat, add a dab of butter if needed and then slide the rösti back into the pan, uncooked side down. Allow the potato pancake to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until that side has also browned.

5. A few minutes before removing the rösti, break off small pieces from the remaining butter and spread it around the edge of the potatoes.

6. To remove the rösti, place a serving platter over the top of the pan and invert it onto the platter. Spread the Gruyère cheese and spring onions over the top of the rösti. Serve immediately.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, Saratoga Spring’s true kitchen essentials store, for your culinary needs. Trying out international food recipes and doing them in an easy and quick way is a fun way to learn about the different cultures of the world. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Take care, John and Paula