INTERESTING FOOD AND DRINK

                     Rivella, Fondue, Reclette, Flemish Stew,
            On a recent trip to Switzerland I was introduced to Rivella a Swiss soft drink. Yellow in color, it is clear with a small fizz. It tastes similar to ginger ale but still a bit different. It is made from 35% milk serum, sucrose, caramel and is carbonated. It is an interesting drink. Our Swiss guide told us her dad made her drink it because it was made from milk. After telling friends at home about it and much discussion we decided that since the drink is clear and in no way resembles milk that the ‘milk serum’ is the whey. It was refreshing, but I found it nowhere else nor on any previous trips.

            In Switzerland we found small chunks of coiled potato in the macaroni and cheese. It was good but just a surprise. It seemed the mac and cheese was always served with applesauce.

            Ah the wonderful fondue in Switzerland! At a fondue making party it was a surprise to learn that grated ‘fondue’ cheese was melted in a pot of white wine that finely chopped shallots had been simmering in. I can’t tell you what kind of cheese ‘fondue’ cheese is because I don’t have a clue. I was just following directions to keep stirring. Fondue forks are long handled with two small long tines to grasp the bite-size bread chunks for dipping in the fondue.  Some say if you lose the bread in the fondue you have to kiss the cook.

            Another new Swiss dish on this recent trip was Reclette. In Geneva friends from Wisconsin wanted to introduce us to this new dish, which they make occasionally at home.  Reclette is a special cheese called reclette that is melted and then scraped into a dish and served with cooked but firm small potatoes, gherkins and pickled onions. In Geneva we found a restaurant that served it so we had a chance to try it. It was interesting, but I favor the fondue! 

            One of the best parts of winter for me is meal of nice thick homemade stew or soup. Having Flemish stew in Belgium was a surprise. Our first waiter informed us the stew was good because it was made the real Flemish way. He was right, it was extremely good, but it sure was a surprise when it arrived. I have a hard time with the terminology as stew to me includes lots of veggies and usually potato chunks. Flemish stew is just like the fricassee beef my mother used to make. It is fork tender chunks of beef in gravy. Flemish stew is simmered in liquor---I don’t know if there is a specific kind of liquor, I’m guessing a good whiskey. There was nothing in the stew but the meat. It was served with fries---like everything in Belgium is---and applesauce. I fricasseed meat often when my children were at home, but I never called it stew. It was just the meat dish. After the shock wore off in Belgium I enjoyed the ‘stew’ several times. However, the first in Bruges, just off the main square, was without a doubt the best.