Hi, I'm Andie.
I live near the Swiss Alps, in Bern, and I love not only melting cheese, but all kinds of Swiss cooking.
Osterfladen is basically a rice or semolina pudding, baked in a pastry shell. It is sold in the weeks leading up to Easter in most Swiss bakeries.
A coconut vanilla pudding inspired by Coop's yogurt of the month for March. It's rich, creamy, and can double as a tart filling. And because it only uses coconut milk, no regular milk or butter, it's dairy free.
The quality of Swiss milk is unparalleled. The act of taking the cows up to the Alps in the summer and letting them graze on fresh alpine meadows influences the delicious taste of the milk. However, it's not only the alpine pastures that make great milk, swissmilk lists several other reasons why Switzerland's milk is so good.
The classic sausage, potato and leek dish from canton Vaud.
Crunchy nuts, soft truffle filling, marzipan, a slathering of chocolate. Heaven.
Flipping through an old Betty Bossi cookbook, I stumbled upon a recipe for a leek and hazelnut tart. I wasn't in the mood to make pastry, but I was intrigued by the combination of leeks and hazelnuts. I decided to give them a whirl as a risotto instead, and the results were delicious.
Another dish to celebrate Fasnacht, here is the warm and bready Basler Mehlsuppe.
These luscious little breads, typically sprinkled with caraway seeds, have always been associated with Fastenzeit, Lent.
In honour of Luzern’s carnival, this giant puff pastry dome is filled with creamy meats and raisins.
This recipe is endlessly adaptable. Any kind of bread will work, preferably stale. You could use any kind of melty cheese. If you don't have mushrooms, throw in some ham, or bacon, or leftover cooked chicken. If you have fresh herbs, throw in some of those in too. If you want to make this sweet, just omit the cheese and add some raisins or other dried fruit.
The Griessköpfli is akin to rice pudding (creamy, raisiny), but firmer, and therefore sliceable. It is dazzlingly toppable—pour over anything from boozy sauces to fruit compotes or caramels, or eat it plain and revel in its comforting simplicity.
The classic early 80s Betty Bossi cookbook Aus Mutters Kochtopf provides the perfect recipe for when you're craving a whack of potatoes—the Kartoffelberg, or Potato Mountain.
When I first moved to Switzerland, I did a short stage at a lovely bakery in the mountains. With a 4:30 am start, by the time z'Nuni rolled around I was ravenous. I was offered my choice from the display case and I took a little pot of pink, berry Birchermüesli. Two bites and I was sold.
How could it possibly be so creamy?
"It's weird," was Sam's consensus on the original Birchermüesli recipe.
If you are familiar with the creamy variety sold in bakeries and cafes around Switzerland and the world, this is very much a departure, but it is the original version from Swiss physician and nutritionist, Dr. Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner.
The cheesy Swiss classic.
The white wine version of traditional red Glühwein, heavy on the citrus.
Chocolatey Swiss farmhouses.
Sam's favourite Christmas cookies—buttery and stuffed with raisins.
The jewel of the Swiss Christmas cookie tray is surely the Spitzbuben, with its elegant dusting of powdered sugar and bright ruby centre.
Switzerland’s favourite chocolate Christmas cookie.
