Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Finland

Good evening from the home of Lordi, Finland, our fifth country in this tasty tour of Europe.

No time to unpack we are heading straight to the Eurovision 1990 and the Finnish entry Beat with Fri?

While they have rocking hair Europe should be proud of Beat shared last place with Norway on just 8 points.

I am obsessed with beetroot in all it's many forms and shades, yes it doesn't just come in a can

.

In my Chow Down to Eurovision research I also found may forms of these Finish beetroot burgers, grated into a fritter/rosti or in slices.

I love them sliced as they are soooo good just on their own with sourcream but also on a bun with "the lot"!

Surely these must be a crumbed "superfood"...well you would probably have to use quinoa flakes and coconut oil to be a real "superfood"

Beetroot burgers (makes about 18)
Ingredients

• 2 long beetroots
• 2 eggs beaten
• seasoned flour
• panko breadcrumbs
• 300ml sour cream
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• 1 spring onion finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove minced (optional)
• Olive oil
• Parsley to garnish

Method

• Add beetroots to a saucepan of cold water
• Bring to boil then simmer till just tender (20-30mins)
• Drain beetroot and allow to cool completely
• Mix sour cream with lemon juice, spring onion, garlic and a pinch of salt
• Peel beetroot and slice into 1-2cm slices
• Coat each slice in flour, egg and breadcrumbs
• Add olive oil to a frypan, a good glug! (enough to shallow fry not deep)
• On a medium heat fry each slice for 2-3 minutes till golden and crisp
• Drain on paper towel and serve with an extra sprinkle of salt and parsley
• Top with sour cream

Give me a Eurovision dvd, a beer and a plate of these and I'm one happy fella.

This year Finland will be represented by Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät aka PKN.

PKN are a punk band and this has caused quite a stir amongst Eurovision "fans", claiming they are only there as a token, some even calling for them to be disqualified because their song isn't the Eurovision pop!

This is exactly why I love Eurovision, I get exposed to so many new and different artists.

Would you really want to sit through a night of 40 Carolas? 

It seemed to be that last year's message of tolerance, acceptance and the notion of being unstoppable was only applicable to women with facial hair.

I get the not everyone likes punk music and that Aina mun pitää may not be the best punk song ever or could the real reason for the carrying on be that people are uncomfortable with people with disabilities?

If you are so closed minded you can't spend 1.37 minutes of your life listening to a punk song the producers of Eurovision 2015 have picked the perfect theme for you......

Build a bridge! 

Carly Findlay and I had a chat about Eurovision, inclusion and PKN prior to their selection.

Past Finland Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Finnish hot pot

2013 Rice Pudding

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Netherlands

Goedenavond, grab your clogs, balls of cheese and red light globes we are in the beautiful Netherlands.

  

Long time Don't Boil The Sauce! readers of The Chow Down to Eurovision will be familiar with my connection to Amsterdam, my dear friend Chantal. 

The two previous Netherlands' Chow Down to Eurovision entries have been inspired by my travels and gifts from Chantal and this year is no exception.

I was thrilled when a Christmas parcel arrived from Amsterdam containing a book on Dutch food! She knows me so well! Grazie Bella!

Chantal also sent me the book that is now famous in my Twitter avatar.

(beard has grown a bit, might need a reshoot)

There is so much excitement in writing this post knowing that in a few weeks I will be back in Amsterdam having a croquette with Chantal. Since the last time I saw her she has become a mum to twins and I can't wait to meet the new family.

I know that as AB and I head to Schiphol and bid farewell to the Dutch family I will be wishing for just One More Night....Give me one more day!

Cue Ester Hart with One More Night, the golden diva came 13th in 2003.

Fresh from the tree out the back, you don't get fresher than that!

Dutch Apple Pie recipe adapted from Dutch Delight by Sylvia Pessireron
Ingredients

• 10-12 large apples
• 100g dried currants (soaked in warm water and drained)
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 175g sugar
• 250g butter
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 500g self raising flour
• 50g almond meal
• Extra egg yolk

Method

• Pre heat oven to 190°C
• Peel, core and quarter the apples
• Slice apples thinly
• Coat apples with cinnamon and sugar
• Either in a food processer or by hand mix the sugar, butter, eggs, salt until smooth
• Add flour and knead until it comes together and is no longer sticky
• Grease and flour a 26cm springform round cake tin (original is 28cm, I went for height)
• Cover base and sides with about 1/4 of the dough mix, pressing to try and make it even
• Add almond meal to the base to avoid a soggy bottom
• Layer the apples and currents into the pie, alternating till you have none left
• With remaining dough lay strips on the top of the pie in a traditional criss-cross pattern (or for a Eurovision reveal of the inside, just roll out and cover as you would a..um..pie)
• Brush with beaten egg yolk
• Bake for 50 minutes till golden
• Allow to cool before removing from cake tin (I didn't wait and mine was very crumbly...which isn't really a bad thing really)
• Serve with cream and/or ice cream

What more currants?

It didn't slice up as beautifully as the pie I had in Volendam but the flavour took me straight back there.

 It is common now for many countries to send contestants from X Factor or The Voice but The Netherlands has opted to send a The Voice judge Trijntje Oosterhuis

 Teamed up with the song writing brilliance of Anouk the Netherlands will again send pure class to Eurovision 2015 with Walk Along.

Will Trijntje be able to go one better than the Common Linnets and will we be all dining on bitterballen and apple pie at Eurovision 2016?

I'll turn my chair for this one!
veel success!

Past Netherlands Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Chinese Tomato Soup

2013 Bitterballen



Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Belgium

Goedenavond, Bonsoir, Guten Abend, this is Belgium one of the original Eurovision countries calling.

 

In 1956, when it all began, Belgium presented 2 songs Le plus beau jour de ma vie sung by Mony Marc and Messieurs les noyés de la Seine sung by Fud Leclerc. In that year each of the 7 competing nations could enter 2 songs, could you imagine if we had 80 songs competing in this year's Eurovision!!

 

I have chosen not to harp on the fact that no one recorded the first contest and just skip a year to bring you today's Eurovision classic.

 

1957 saw Bobbejaan Schoepen sing in Dutch Straatdeuntje (streetcar), well I say sing but there was quite a large portion of whistling. Bobbejaan scored 5 points and placed 8th tying with Lys Assisa, back for Switzerland. (I bet he was wishing he had tied with her the year before!) 



 

Our Eurovision dish today is a dish so obviously Belgium I'd avoided it for 2 years, so as not to be cliché.
 
I think it is time that we all embrace the mussels from Brussels.
 
And just in case you got a little too excited and were thinking muscles....I have prepared a simple guide to help you with your mussel/muscle appreciation.
 

 

 
I could no longer put this dish off because I am lucky enough to have access to the most amazing mussels at the farmers market. Mussels are a staple dinner every 3rd Saturday of the month (the week the mussel man makes an appearance) that they had to make their way into the Chow Down to Eurovision.
 
When I head to Belgium this year there will be no relaxing with a large beer and a plate of moules frites, I will be working very hard studying the dish.
 
I may even need to study it two or three times and perhaps analyse some Belgian chocolate while I am at it, that's just how dedicated and hard working I am!!
 
There are a few sauces that have been known to accompany this dish but after I read about a blue cheese sauce, that was the only way to go.
 

Moules Frites (mussels and chips) aka Game On Moules!

Ingredients for 2 people

• 1kg mussels
• Knob of butter
• Splash of olive oil
• 1 leek chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• Handful of chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, chives, tarragon)
• 6 Kipfler potatoes
• 150g blue cheese
• 30ml olive oil
• 1/2 cup seasoned flour
• Oil for frying

For the moules (mussels)

• Clean and de-beard the mussels (I just pull the beard out and discard any mussels with broken shells)
• In a heavy based pot with lid add the splash of oil and knob of butter
• Add the leek and garlic and stir over a medium to high heat
• When the leek is soft add the white wine, mussels and put the lid on
• Cook until the mussels have opened (about 5 minutes)
• Stir through herbs and serve with chips and blue cheese dip

For frites (chips) (or buy some chips)

• In a saucepan of cold water bring the potatoes to the boil and cook till just tender
• Cool and keep in the fridge overnight
• Cut the potatoes into wedges or chips
• Coat in seasoned flour
• Cook in small batch in very hot oil till crisp

For blue cheese sauce

It is probably more of a dip than a sauce.

• With a fork mix the blue cheese and oil together until combined

 

That little orange morsel of sea sweetness and the blue cheese is a serious flavour experience "a party in your mouth" as they say!

 

Belgium will be represented in Vienna by Loïc Nottet who will perform Rhythm Inside.

 

 I am looking forward to seeing what Belgium can come up with for a stadium presentation.

Will Loïc set the audience and juries hearts a rapppabab-ing or is Rhythm Inside more of that "really cool quirky theme tune from the latest hipster HBO series"?

Or both?

Goei chance! 

 

Past Belgium Chow Down to Eurovision:

 

2014 Witlof Gratin

 

2013 Beer Soup

 

 

Chow Down to Euroivision 2015 - Armenia

 

I hope you managed to collect your luggage, we have arrived in Armenia.

In 2009 Armenia sent 2 sisters Inga & Anush to Moscow to have us all dancing to Jan Jan, giving us a taste of flash mob possibilities. They managed to keep Armenia in the top 10 for the fourth year running. 

For me the sisters bring pure joy to the song and if you aren't tapping your toes at the end of it, well I'm not sure I can help you.

Inga will again represent Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015, with a group formed around Armenian bloodlines, interestingly without her sister...
 

 

 

Armenia's contribution to #BuildingBrunches is a chickpea and date soup. While I love a good date as much as the next bloke, my obsession at the moment is currants...they are totes right now!

 

There is a beauty in the surprise sweetness that dried fruit has to offer a savoury dish.

 

Possibly one of the simplest dishes in Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 I can see this easily securing a place in the top ten soups for any wintery night.

 

 

 

I love the sound of chickpeas cracking as they soak.....

 

Armenian chickpea and date currant soup

Ingredients

• 500g soaked, cooked chickpeas (or canned)*
• 1 brown onion
• 1 clove garlic
• Olive oil
• Butter
• 1 litre chicken/vegetable stock
• 80g dried currants

Method

• Dice onion and garlic
• Add a "splash and a knob" of oil and butter to a large saucepan
• Fry the onions and garlic on low heat till they are translucent
• Add 400g of the chickpeas (keeping 100g to add later)
• Add the stock and simmer for 20-30 minutes till the chickpeas are soft
• Mash the soup with a potato masher, or hand blender for a smooth soup
• Add the remaining chickpeas and currants
• Season to taste
• Serve with a finely sliced spring onion....only because I like a soup topped with spring onion

*I used dried chickpeas I soak and then cook but you could use canned as well, I would use 2 cans of chickpeas and 1.5 litres of stock.

 

 It don't look too pretty but what a surprise treat the currants make!

 

 
 

 

 

In 2015 Armenia has cooked up the act Genealogy which features 6 singers of Armenian heritage from around the globe, it's like The Voice meets Who Do You Think You Are?

 

The group consists of some very talented singers individually, but will this family reunion work or will it end in tears just like every Christmas after Aunt Mavis has a touch too much sherry and not enough trifle.

 

The song evokes a night at the opera with Tori Amos and a touch of the burlesque all rolled into a film clip that could easily be an episode of Dr Who.

 

Հաջողություն!

 

 

Past Armenia Chow Down to Eurovision:

 

2014: Eech - Bulgur and Tomato Salad



2013: Apricot and Nutmeg Cake with Apricot Cream

 



Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Moldova

Buna Seara Europe/World we have arrived in Moldova, the first country for Chow Down to Eurovision 2015!  

 

If this is your first time to the Chow Down to Eurovision you will discover that each country will present us with a dish, a Eurovision entry from their past and a taste of this year's contestant.

 

We begin are musical journey into Eurovision history in 2008 when Moldova gave us Century of Love sung by Geta Burlacu. 

Geta has a flexible jazz voice that successfully navigates the scat sections with the trumpeter and in case you were unsure if this was lounge music, they decided to bring one with them.

I think Moldova would score well on The Block as who wouldn't want a lounge room with a cool moody trumpet player at the foot of the sofa??

Wonder if I could get one at Ikea?

Like the great Paul Oskar's 1997 Minn hansti dans for Iceland, I have a lot of respect for someone that can combine entering Eurovision with a lay down on the couch!

Sadly as with last year, 2008 saw Moldova fail to secure a place in the final, which may have had something to do with the teddy bear...great voice, great song, creepy teddy bear.

 

 

 

Our first culinary morsel of 2015 is sure to disappear in a flash from any Eurovision party buffet.

 

Placinte are a pastry covered dumpling/pie/pastie bites of deliciousness.

There are many methods of making and both sweet or savoury varieties.

 

Today Moldova is in the space between both with a chicken and pumpkin variety.

 

The chicken with the hint of garlic champion team savoury with the pumpkin making a very welcomed appearance for team sweet.

 

I suspect Moldova will do well in Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 as covering anything in pastry is a good idea really.

 

Chicken and pumpkin placinte (makes 35-40)

Ingredients

• 300g chicken (breast or thigh meat)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion
• 200g pumpkin grated
• Salt and pepper
• Puff pastry (home made or bought see note)
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

• Mince chicken, garlic, onion and a good pinch of salt/pepper in food processer
• Transfer chicken to a bowl and mix through the pumpkin
• Either roll out pastry or thaw some bought sheets
• Brush the pastry with the egg wash
• Cut out rounds with a 9cm cutter
• Place a small spoon of mixture onto the pastry, fold over and seal the edges
• Place on a lined baking tray and bake at 200°C for 15 minutes until golden
• Serve with dipping sauce of your choice, I went with sweet chill

Note on pastry: I made the pastry for the placinte featured which adds to the puffed up look, a little like a Eurovision reveal. They go into the oven all neat and oval but come out puffed and gorgeous.

 

I used about 3/4 of a 750g batch to get 40 placinte, so a packet of pastry should be enough to get 30+ depending on the size. My normal pastry recipe is from the Great British Bake Off - How to Bake but there are lots of recipes out there if you are going to make your own.

 

 

 

The offcuts became a very rustic pie

 

 

One plate just isn't enough!

The Moldovan entry to grace the Wiener Stadthalle stage this May will be Eduard Romanyuta with I Want Your Love.

While the selection process was rocked with allocations of vote buying, I think Britney Spears fans will give this song 12 points....ah yeah yeah yeah yeah

noroc!

Past Moldova Chow Down to Eurovision appearances:

2014: Moldovan Fish with Roast Vegetable and Feta Salad

 2013: Moldovan Beetroot Salad

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 Launch

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015

40 dishes from 40 countries but only 1 winner...

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 Australian National Final Winner Announcement

The announcement we have all been waiting for!

Which dish will represent Australia at Chow Down to Eurovision 2015....
 
After a wonderful national final that showcased the dishes of 5 very talented food bloggers, the public has spoken.
 
It gives me great pleasure to announce that the dish that will be representing Australia in the Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 is  Tim Tam and Vegemite Soufflé from Keep Calm and Fanny On!

 

 

 
I'd like to thank everyone who entered, the selection of dishes was outstanding and I can only imagine how hard it was for people to pick a winner.

Thank you to everyone who voted so that I didn't have to make this tough decision.
(I didn't even vote)

The Chow Down to Eurovision will commence in early April 2015.

Will Keep Calm and Fanny On take out the whole contest and win it for Australia? (via Scotland)

 

The final results:

 

Entry	Total
Keep Calm and Fanny On	237
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial	198
What's on The List?	195
Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures	185
The Bountiful Hunter	174