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.
Coupe Romanoff isn't originally Swiss, but it’s one of the country’s favourite ice cream sundaes (after Coupe Dänemark, of course).
Dinkel is the German word for spelt and this ancient grain has been cultivated in Europe since the Late Stone Age. But after centuries of dominance, spelt production gave way to its heartier cousin, wheat, which required less care and yielded more grain.
Through the hard work of farmers and millers, spelt was saved, and protected, and now can be enjoyed in numerous forms, from pasta to these puffed spelt bars.
I know it's much easier to buy a tube, but impossibly light, creamy, homemade mayo is not only more delicious, it's also surprisingly easy to make, especially with an immersion blender.
Pair it with ham, asparagus, and a poached egg for a perfect light spring dinner.
The Mönchsbart that arrives each spring in Switzerland is mostly grown next door along the Italian coast and in Ticino, where it is known as barbe di frate or agretti. Although its season is extremely limited, I managed to find it in my local Coop in the middle of the Emmental.
The bees are a-buzzing.
Inspired by their sweet, sweet honey, I bring you these cupcakes.
"I climbed out of the window, right past the police officer at my door, and I went to warn my friends."
So said the woman on the video, as the camera zoomed in on her knee high leather boots.
"I came in through the front door—boy was the cop surprised to see me. I invited him in and made him a coffee, but I had to promise not to tell anyone that I'd gotten out."
Sbrinz, the wonder cheese!
This beauty is great for grating and it's one of your best companions on a cheese board. Here it gives the classic Italian dish Eggplant Parmesan a Swiss twist.
Green walnuts from the verdant valleys of Ticino meet the original green fairy in this cocktail that tastes like a bag of liquorice allsorts.
A cookie made with Nocino, a bittersweet liqueur made from green walnuts and particularly enjoyed in Ticino.
Now for the challenge of using up all of those leftover Easter bunnies—and what better way than an excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast?
That's right, bread pudding.
Ads in our local paper last week were full of the question:
Who has the hardest egg in the Emmental?
Perfect for a Good Friday fish feast (or any day of the year), these fish cakes were traditionally made in Weggis, a small town bordering Lake Lucerne.
This version features a filling made of Weggli—little Swiss milk buns—and lots of raisins, which makes it like a bread pudding tart.
It isn't traditionally an Easter cake, and it isn't Swiss, but I like any excuse to make this buttery and jammy classic from just over the border.
I need a lot of granola in my life, because since moving to the Emmental my yogurt consumption has increased by about 240%.
This classic Bündner dish is made up of buttery potato niblets, served with cheese, apple or cranberry sauce, and milky coffee.
What better way to celebrate St Fridolin, patron saint of Glaurs, than with the flaky, double stuffed puff pastry Glarner Pastete? Half filled with plums and half with almond paste, it's beloved in the canton and made in numerous bakeries throughout the region.
A magnet for children (and my husband), the bright green icing hides an intense chocolate filling.
It felt a little strange, putting tomatoes in my fondue pot...
Belper Knolle is a magical, hard, peppery and garlicky cheese ball that you can grate over just about any dish.
