Dutch Bitterballen + Giveaway: A Personalised Signed Copy of Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps Cookbook

The winner of Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps giveaway has been decided.

Jane Lawson, the author of Snowflakes and Scnapps cookbook was delighted to pick a winner from the overwhelming responses to this giveaway.

Here is Jane's message: "Wow that was difficult! I loved so many of the stories and was touched particularly by their childhood memories such as picking strawberries as I did with my own family - only I was offered a choice of manure or cream as a topping, and at the ripe age of 3 or 4 I opted for the manure hoping it was chocolate....thankfully my food knowledge is a little stronger now."

"There seemed to be a common theme of family and home and I think one of the best things about being involved with food - professionally or otherwise is indeed the ability to share the experience with people you care about. Whether it is your child’s first “real” meal, to quote one reader, or the last dish you cooked with a since departed loved one, planning a dinner party for your best buddies , introducing a new food to an appreciative acquaintance, dining in a flash restaurant or simply gathering the family for a Sunday night roast it is a clear reminder that food is not just fuel for the tank but an important and simple way to nurture our souls and minds. For this reason I chose Charity’s story - how lovely for a daughter to spend time with her father pouring through cookbooks while they chat and plan the meal they will then shop for and cook together. My father passed away almost 12 years ago now and while there there many things we didn’t see eye to eye on, we shared a love of good food - it still bonds us today. I know Charity will cherish these times with her father for the rest of her life and shortly she will have a new book from which to boost their repertoire – I expect a report back of course!!"

Congratulations to you Charity who has won a personalised signed copy of Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps. Can you please send your name and address to almostbourdain[at]gmail[dot]com so I can arrange the prize to be mailed to you.

It all started with a trip to the Borders Bookstore a year ago. Visiting Borders is one of my regular activities, my 'me time', a little bit of self indulgence. After dropping off Miss C at school, I drove myself to the mega bookstore and immersed myself in the world of food, browsing through the latest cookbooks.

Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps caught my eye in particular, not just because of the beautiful cover and the stunningly styled photographs. Not just because of the Nordic theme which includes a lot of familiar and great recipes that I knew would please Mr J and my European relatives and visitors. It was mainly because of this Dutch Bitterballen recipe which is also the first recipe in this cookbook.

These little balls mean a lot to us. It is now nearly 12 years ago that we and our wedding guests were dancing the night away on the tunes of a 3-man jazz band in our cozy wedding venue, a converted Old Dutch Farm House. Wine, beer and these Bitterballen were freely served to the guests.

I resisted the urge to buy a copy of the cookbook. Instead, I strongly hinted to Mr J what I wanted for Christmas. Successfully.

Bitterballen wasn't the first recipe I cooked from Jane's cookbook. I made the Oliebollen recipe on New Year Eve which is a Dutch tradition.

How could I know that the post on Oliebollen would catch the attention of Jane? And now, nearly one year later, that post has led to an amazing work experience for me. Jane offered me to work alongside with her on her upcoming cookbook (to be released in 2012). Recipe testing, cooking and learning from her. Also experiencing the endless research, huge efforts and long hours of hard work being put into making an excellent quality cookbook with well tested recipes.

Jane has an extensive knowledge and experience in cookbook publishing (she is the publisher behind some of the Australia most acclaimed cookbooks, most notably Quay and Bourke Street Bakery). I will be forever grateful to Jane for her generosity to give me the opportunity to have a glimpse of how a cookbook comes together, and to share her knowledge of the food industry with me.

I first came across Jane Lawson's name back in 2005 after reading Chubby Hubby's many blog posts that rave about Jane's other cookbooks -among them Grub, Cocina Nueva and Yoshoku.

I never dreamt that one day I would meet her, let alone would be cooking with her. I know at this stage, I have so much to learn, to experience, to appreciate. In the future, who knows? The sky is the limit as long as we dare to dream.

Snowflakes and Schnapps is Jane's 8th and latest title. It's also the one I cherish the most because it covers a vast variety of European cuisines - from Russia, the Baltic sea, the Alpine region, Scandinavia - that are hard to find. Many years of travel to these countries and extensive research into their cuisines were completed before this cookbook was published.

There are many European classics such as Pretzels, Piroshki, Borscht, Goulash, Janssen's Temptation, Cheese and Chocolate Fondue.

Tartiflette

Karelian Open Pies

Some classics like Swedish Meatballs, Beef Wellington and Schweinshaxe were given a modern makeover with new names to match. New flavours and modern twists are injected which give originality and playfulness.

Beef Fillet in Parmesan Pastry with Truffle Butter Sauce

Meatballs with Vodka Dill Cream Sauce

Crisp Roast Pork Hock with Spiced Red Cabbage and Apple Horseradish

Cooking with beer is an old tradition in some European countries like Belgium. I am so excited to see Jane has incorporated some recipes that celebrate the tradition of cooking with beer.

Raisin Ale Cake with Walnut Streusel Topping

Beer-Cooked Bratwurst Hot Dogs with Sweet and Spicy Mustard

Beer, Orange and Spice Braised Short Ribs with Walnut Dumplings

Many new flavours, ingredients and techniques bring a unique experience for all baking enthusiasts. I learnt the Hungarian method of making crepes with soda water from The Prune-Filled Crepes Baked in Caramel with Spiced Cookie Cream recipe. S'more lovers will be delighted to see the Pannetone, Chocolate & Marshmallow Melts recipe. The Molten Black Forest Puddings with Cherry Compote & Kirsch Cream will inspire you and make you realise that there is no limit when it comes to creativity in baking. It pushes the boundaries and encourages you to play around with new flavours and ideas.

Prune-Filled Crepes Baked in Caramel with Spiced Cookie Cream

Pannettone, Chocolate & Marshmallow Melts

Honeycake Snowballs with fig and Buttered Rum Sauce

Doughnut Balls with Mocha 'Soup'

Ingredients unique to different regions in Europe are used in some of the recipes which expose us to and enrich us with the traditions of regional European cooking. Examples are: Juniper berries, Gjetost (cheese from Norway), Quark, Barenjager (honey liqueur) and Akravit (Aquavit). Cooking instructions are clear and detailed. Explanations are given and alternatives are offered for the uncommon ingredients.

I especially love the chapter "Dreaming of a White Christmas". It consists of many beautiful dishes that are perfect for the Holiday Season such as Marzipan Butter Stollen, Sacher Torte with Apricot and Orange Cream, Buche De Noel with Chestnut Cream and Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing & Vin Santo Grape Sauce. These and many more will surely add a special touch to your holiday feasts and Christmas baking.

Gingerbread Spice Glazed Ham with Cherry Relish

Lebkuchen Bread of Life

This book gives me heaps of styling and photography inspiration. Sarah Cooks has spotted some beautiful Chilewich textured placemats, Bodum double-wall thermo glasses and Essential Ingredient teardrop bowls. There are still plenty more of hidden gems to be discovered in this book.

Elderflower, Gin and Lemon Sipper

Danish Rice Pudding with Cherry Sauce

Snowflakes and Schnapps is now available in both hard cover and paperback.

Thanks to the lovely Jane Lawson, I am giving away a personalised signed copy of the Snowflakes and Schnapps Cookbook to one of my readers.

All you have to do is to leave a comment and share one of your favourite food moments.

The winner will be chosen based on the best and most original answer.

The competition is open to all Almost Bourdain's readers. This competition ends 11:59pm on the 21 of November 2010 (AEST). The winner will be announced on Almost Bourdain on 22 Novembr 2010.

Bitterballen Recipe
(Adapted from Snowflakes and Schnapps by Jane Lawson)
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

4 tbsp butter
1 small brown onion, very finely chopped
1/2 celery stalk, very finely chopped
1 small carrot, very finely chopped
250 g (9 oz) minced (ground) veal
100 g (3 1/2 oz) minced (ground) pork
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
750 ml (26 fl oz / 3 cups) beef stock
375 ml (13 fl oz / 1 1/2 cups) full cream (whole) milk
1 bay leaf
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
75 g ( 21/2 oz / 1/2 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
320 g (11 1/4 oz / 4 cups) fresh white breadcrumbs
3 eggs
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
A selection of mustard, for serving

Method

1. Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened and lightly golden. Add the meats, garlic and thyme to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, break up any lumps with the back of a spoon, until the meat changes colour. Add the stock, milk and the bay leaf and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the meat is very tender. Remove from the heat, strain off the liquid and reserve. Stir the lemon juice, parsley and a few large pinches of the nutmeg into the cooked meat and set aside.
2. Put the remaining butter in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes to combine. Gradually whisk in 210 ml (10 1/4 fl oz / 1 1/4 cups) of the warm reserved cooking liquid, until smooth and completely lump-free. Allow it to come to the boil and cook for a few minutes, or until very thick. Remove from the heat and combine with the meat mixture and remaining nutmeg: season to taste. Spread the mixture out on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours, or until very cold and firm.
3. Work quickly, roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture into neat, even-sized balls - you should make about 32 in total. Divide the breadcrumbs between two plates and lightly beats the eggs in a shallow bowl. Roll each ball in the first plate of breadcrumbs and then dip into the egg, allowing any excess to drip off. Finish by rolling each ball in the second plate of breadcrumbs. Transfer the balls to a tray and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until very cold.
4. Fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan one-third with oil and heat to 180C (350F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds. Deep-fry the bitterballen, in batches, for 2-3 minutes each, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with mustard for dipping.

Snowflakes and Schnapps by Jane Lawson

"Join Jane Lawson as she takes you on a culinary journey through the magnificent cold-climate cuisines of the snow-cloaked regions of northern, central and eastern Europe. Celebrate the season of winter and enjoy this irresistible selection of simmering soups, hearty meals and indulgent desserts that will warm you to the core. From humble and satisfying classics to glamorous feasts worthy of a celebration, you are sure to be inspired by the mythical winter wonderland of Snowflakes and Schnapps.

'Get cosy on the couch with this opulently styled new release and remind yourself of all the good things cold weather brings.' - Delicious.

'This is winter comfort fare at it's best' - Vogue Entertaining + Travel"

Published: July 2010
Page: 288 Pages
ISBN: 9781741969979
Size: 280 x 240mm
Price and Format: AUD $49.95 Paperback / AUD $69.95 Hardcover (Available on Bookdepository and Fishpond)