Christmas in Rome or Buenos Aries. New Year's Eve in Paris or on a Greek Isle. Sounds good and delicious.
If you can't get there, turn your holiday open house or buffet dinner party into a pleasure trip to foreign locales. Treat your guests to an eclectic and festive buffet that brings home a glimpse of international holidays in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa.
If an entire menu of foreign foods is too exotic for your taste or too much labor, try adding a new dish or two to your holiday standards. The recipes accompanying this article complement a traditional turkey main dish, and can be prepared in advance and served at room temperature. Appetizers and desserts, which can be purchased at shops around town, can easily make the meal international.
Don't go overboard with the search for ethnic foods for the menu. Stick with flavors and spices that are familiar. Your holiday party isn't the time to experiment with extremes in flavor.
SCENE SETTING
As guests arrive set the tone by playing CDs of Luciano Pavarotti, the Gypsy Kings, the Chieftains or any group whose music recalls foreign lands. Hire a band, find one that can play anything from klezmer (Jewish folk music) to Latin American salsa.
Stick with favorite linens, candleholders, crystal and china for the main buffet table.
Establish food stations for the other courses and decorate each with a different ethnic theme. For example, multicolored kente cloth from Africa and other Kwanzaa decorations could cover the table where you place a tureen of soup. One of many places stocking tablewares from around the world is SERRV International Gift Shop, 8 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Towson. (410) 825-5785.
BON VOYAGE
Launch your international voyage with appetizers from around the globe. The coffee table could act as an hors d'oeuvres station for serving a Polish sauerkraut pierogi or a cheesy spanakopita, a favorite of Baltimore homemaker Helen Frangos, whose recipe follows.
Round out the selection with popular Middle Eastern dips, such as hummus and baba ghannouj, which can be bought from local delis and served with toasted pita bread triangles. For an easy and colorful touch of Asia, pick up some sushi made fresh right before the event, and serve it with soy sauce, ginger and wasabi.
A simple baked turkey is an ideal buffet centerpiece dish because so many people associate it with holiday cheer. The recipe that follows is adapted from one for a Chilean Passover turkey, and it becomes moist and golden brown as the dried fruits and honey work their magic.
Traditional Hanukkah latkes, crispy potato pancakes, complement the turkey. Dress them up: The recipe that follows is for "Ultimate Latkes," made with truffles and creme fraiche, by Stan Levy, chef of the Milton Inn.
And ahh, Italy. Traditional Italian Christmas dishes include minestra di scarole (escarole soup) and linguine with clam sauce. Carciofi alla Giudecca (artichokes Jewish style) is a light vegetable dish recommended by Gino Troia of Cafe Troia in Towson. He makes it with baby artichokes available the year 'round from California.
Making a potluck-style soup is "a way of bringing the village together in harmony and thanksgiving and is served at a feast after a bountiful harvest," says Angela Shelf Medearis, author of "The African-American Kitchen" (Dutton, $23.95, 1994). Ms. Medearis' elegant adaptation of this tradition, her Kwanzaa Blessing Soup, calls for a familiar combination of yams and chicken.
The preparation of some holiday foods is so complex and intricate that even with the finest ingredients, a skillful cook might be left with a product that barely resembles the goal. These are occasions for finding a supplier rather than doing the cooking. Every year, my mother and aunts spent many hours making tamales, the most traditional of Latin American Christmas foods, but the daunting task of buying a pig's head, from which the meat filling is made, prevents me from even trying. Luckily, Cuban-style tamales are available from International Market, at 1901 Fleet St. (410) 675-0714.
For a taste of old Russia, without spending too much time in the kitchen, pick up a dish from Irina's Cafe at 3200 Barclay St. (410) 889-1502. Try a kulibiaka -- a puff pastry stuffed with salmon, rice and eggs. A Russian winter salad, a combination of beets, pickles, carrots, potatoes, beans and onions in a horseradish mayonnaise, would add a splash of color to your buffet.
For drinks, Asti Spumanti and champagnes are festive. Other options are the new South African wines or Oliver's Christmas Ale, a British-style ale with hints of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg brewed only for the holiday season. It's available at the Wharf Rat, 206 W. Pratt St. (410) 244-8900.
Creamy, fresh-brewed Thai tea can be poured into tall glasses with canned, sweetened condensed milk for a layered, delicious treat. Serve it in pottery from Thailand at the dessert table. Thai tea can be purchased at the Thai Philippine Grocery, 523 Gorsuch Ave. (410) 243-6193.
DIVINE DESSERTS
In Austria and Bavaria, baked goods are the culinary cornerstones for holiday entertaining. The recipe that follows for schokolade-nuss torte (chocolate-nut layered cake) is from Maria Springer of Maja's Viennese Kitchen cooking school. To make the recipe easier, she substituted a cake mix for the 12 ingredients she normally uses.
Flan de leche, also known as creme caramel, is an essential part of any holiday meal for many in Southern and Central Europe and throughout Latin America. This might be a good time to dust off those French or Spanish cookbooks.
Stacy Sell of Happy Endings Desserts uses seasonal fruits to create uniquely American desserts, such as a fresh cranberry and orange tart and a citrus custard. Place orders for desserts at (410) 366-0634.
A French buche de noel -- a jellyroll cake -- can be purchased from many bakers, including Patisserie Poupon, 820 E. Baltimore St. (410) 332-0390. Or pick up panettone, the Italian Christmas bread, from delis such as Mastellone's Deli, 7212 Harford Road. (410) 444-5433.
Take advantage of the great number of ethnic restaurants, bakeries and delicatessens in Baltimore, and buy some or all of the holiday foods for your party. Entertaining is supposed to be fun, so a good way to avoid getting frazzled is to make what you must, buy whatever is remaining on the menu and use the leftover time to treat yourself to a long bubble bath before your guests arrive.
HELEN FRANGOS' SPANAKOPITA
1 onion chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound fresh spinach, chopped or 1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
1 teaspoon dill
1 egg, beaten
1/2 pound feta, crumbled
3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound phyllo dough
1/2 pound butter, melted
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onion in olive oil. Add spinach and simmer for a few minutes. Add dill. Cool. Add beaten egg to spinach. Add feta, grated Romano and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly.
Cut phyllo sheets in half lengthwise and cover with towel to prevent drying. Brush each sheet with butter and fold in half lengthwise. Brush again with butter. Place a heaping teaspoon of spinach mixture at bottom left-hand corner of phyllo sheet and fold corner to corner, forming a triangle.
Bake on buttered cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 32 to 40.
CHILEAN TURKEY WITH DRIED AND FRESH FRUITS
12-pound fresh turkey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
juice from one lemon
zest from one orange, grated
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces dried apricots
4 ounces dried prunes
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
4 tart green apples, sliced thin
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey
Rub the entire turkey and its cavity with a blend of garlic, salt, lemon juice, orange zest, paprika and black pepper and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
The next day, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the apricots and prunes into small pieces and place in a bowl with the cranberries and raisins. Cover with water and soak for about 30 ** minutes. In a large bowl, mix together the rehydrated fruits, apples, thyme and basil.
Place the turkey in a large baking pan. Stuff the cavity of the turkey as full as possible with the fruit mixture. Also, place the fruit mixture under wings and legs. Place any remaining fruit around the bird.
Coat the turkey generously with honey. Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered, at 425 degrees. Then reduce the heat to 350 and cook for about 3 1/2 hours or until the turkey is done.
When the turkey is completely done, remove the fruit stuffing and refrigerate the turkey and stuffing separately. Before serving, reheat the stuffing and serve over the turkey, which can be reheated or served at room temperature. Serves 10.
STAN LEVY'S ULTIMATE LATKES
4 Yukon Gold potatoes
1 large onion
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
up to 1/2 cup flour
1/2 ounce to 1 ounce truffles
duck fat or clarified butter, enough for frying
salt and pepper to taste
creme fraiche
Peel potatoes and onion and grate them by hand on the medium side of the grater. Squeeze out excess liquid and place in large mixing bowl. Mix in beaten eggs. Mix in baking powder. Stir in flour slowly until batter resembles cake batter. Stir in slivers of truffles and form into patties. Heat butter or duck fat (about 1/2 inch deep) in skillet and fry latkes until golden brown. Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat on baking sheet in very hot oven just before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with creme fraiche on side. Serves 10.
CARCIOFI ALLA GIUDECCA
24 baby artichokes
1 cup fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper
olive oil
crushed garlic
Italian parsley
capers
Remove the outer tough leaves of the artichokes. Shorten the stems. Soak the artichokes in cold water and lemon juice for about 30 minutes. Drain the water from the artichokes and cut off the top 1/2 inch of each artichoke, carefully flattening them without breaking them. Season the inside of the leaves with a little salt and pepper. In a two-handled copper pot, heat about 1/4 inch of oil and carefully arrange the artichokes side by side, bottoms up. When they feel tender, flatten them with a wooden spoon so the leaves spread out. Mist them with a water bottle occasionally while they cook for about 20 minutes. Add garlic, parsley and capers. Remove from oil and serve. Serves 8.
KWANZAA BLESSING SOUP
1 3-pound chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
6 cups water
2 teaspoons peanut oil
4 yams, peeled and cut into cubes
parsley for garnish
Cut chicken off the bones. Cube the meat and add to a large pot. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, onion, parsley, water and oil and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the yams and simmer, covered, until the chicken is tender and done, 40 to 50 minutes.
Remove about one-third of the yams from the soup and reserve them. Puree the remainder of the soup. Return the yams to the soup for texture. Garnish with parsley. Serves 6 to 8.
SCHOKOLADE-NUSS TORTE CAKE:
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons dark rum
1/3 cup ground almonds
1 Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Cake
Add the cocoa powder, dark rum and ground almonds to the cake mix and bake for 35 to 40 minutes in a greased, 9 1/2- to 10-inch springform pan. Cool completely before icing.
ICING:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Cointreau
1 cup sliced almonds, roasted
Mix milk, cornstarch and egg yolks and cook in double boiler until it thickens, whisking constantly. Do not overcook or eggs will curdle. Remove from heat and whisk in the semisweet chocolate morsels and the coffee-water mixture. This becomes your mocha mixture. Set it aside. In an electric mixer bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Now add the cooled mocha mixture in, one spoon at a time. Then add the vanilla and Cointreau and mix. Decorate cake with mocha icing. Use a pastry bag to make star rosettes or other designs and coat the cake's sides with roasted sliced almonds.