European

Sometimes (in menu descriptions and article titles), when spelling out a number of countries would make the description or title too long, we use the internationally accepted two-letter codes for countries -- similar to the three-letter codes for airports. There are also three-letter codes used by the UN, but we prefer the shorter ones.

Here's a list of codes for the countries we cover (and some we're thinking about covering in the future).

This is an informal list of places that EuroCuisineLady goes to every chance she gets. (It's also a great way for her to keep links to their web pages in one place.)

Don't expect this to be particularly organized. It will be added to every now and then as ECL websurfs to the various restaurant pages. Sometimes the restaurants don't have web pages: in such cases, the links will point to reviews or guidebook listings.

Belgium:

This beautiful, simple and surprisingly elegant cake was contributed by Irish TV chef Darina Allen as one of Ireland's two "birthday cakes" for the festivities celebrating the 1957 signing of the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Union.

Oranges have been popular in Ireland for hundreds of years, initially (in the 1600's) as a faddish snack food, then as a favorite staple in desserts. For example, Dean (Jonathan) Swift's favorite dessert was "burnt oranges" -- oranges and white wine, caramelized under the grill with brown sugar and whiskey. Oranges appear in many Irish desserts, in both fresh and dried / candied forms -- but rarely as intensively as they do here.

It would probably be understandable if residents of the Republic of Ireland pause briefly to wonder whether the "orangeness" of the cake is a sly nod to our cousins up in the "Wee North".

Click "Read more" for the recipe...

From A to Z...

• Apple cake (RO)

• Apple cake with raisins and cinnamon (ET)

• Apple cinnamon cake (LU)

• Baiser apple cake (DK)

• Banitsa with feta (BG)

• Banitsa with pumpkin (BG)

• Black and white dice (SK)

• Bohemian kolatschen (CS)