This year we’ve got a professional chef coming with us on the annual summer cottage trip, but the menu hasn’t changed much because when asked what we should bring to the cottage, this friend of 18 years replied, “meat and fire”. I was also told that I did not bring enough bacon last year, so I’ve doubled it for this year because, hey, double the bacon, double the fun. As always, I’ve also tried to sneak as many seasonal fruits and vegetables into my friends as possible. Continue reading
Sausage
Cottage Country Menu Planning
At least once every summer, my husband and I invite all our friends, fill every square inch of our Volkswagen with food, beer and bathing suits and drive the five hours to our cottage. Being the hostess, it is up to me to come up with a menu for the week that is fun, simple, travels well, multiplies easily and is cost effective. This year we will have eight people staying for a full week, which made planning a menu a little difficult. Here is what I came up with: Continue reading
How to Properly Cook Sausage
There are many ways to cook sausage. Even in sausage homelands like Italy and Germany, there is no proper way to cook a sausage, as the best method will differ depending on the dish it is being prepared for. My English mother-in-law – and her son – swears by a cooking method the family calls “steaming”, although it’s actually closer to poaching. Not only do they cook the best sausages I’ve ever had, but I didn’t like sausage before they made it for me. Continue reading