Scotland

Scotland (#52) Scottish Shortbread

The grand finale, the 52nd country in 52 weeks!  I used to work with a woman from Scotland and every Christmas she made Scottish shortbreads as gifts, and presented them all wrapped in a beautiful tartan plaid ribbon.  Scottish shortbread dates back to the 12th century and became popular by Mary, Queen of Scots.  There are just a few simple ingredients - flour, butter and confectioners sugar.  Some recipes call for vanilla flavoring so I used my special Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste.  Historically, shortbread was expensive and reserved as a luxury for Christmas, Scottish New Year's Eve and weddings.  This is the first time I have ever made shortbread, but I will add it to my Christmas baking repertoire.

 

As I reflect on my year of cooking 52 countries in 52 weeks, I must say this has been such a great experience, and I’ve truly enjoyed the journey.  I’ve learned a lot about different cuisines and cultures and want to continue on my quest to cook my way around the world.  In 2014, I’ll be cooking and blogging my way through every corner of France and Italy.  Bon appétit and buono appetito!

Ukraine

Ukraine (#51) Chicken Kiev

I have wanted to make this for quite awhile, and I’m glad I finally did.  Chicken Kiev is a traditional Russian dish from the early 20^th century, and became popular on American menus in the 1960’s.  The ingredients are simple, but putting it all together took a little finesse.  I combined butter with minced garlic, chopped parsley, and lemon juice, then shaped it in a log and put it in the freezer to harden.  The chicken cutlets were pounded to about 1/8 inch thick, and a pat of the butter placed in the center.  The chicken is then wrapped up in a bundle, dredged in flour, egg and panko bread crumbs, then fried in canola oil.  I served this with lots of fresh squeezed lemon and mashed potatoes.  So delicious!

One more country to go!  Scottish shortbread coming soon.