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Need help with a rice dish from Switzerland.......

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 7:06 am
by JenW
I am a Cadette Girl Scout Troop leader. We are representing Switzerland in our World Friendship Day celebration.... Only they are doing things a little different this year. The older girls are hosting a few countries in cabins at our local Scout Camp. And our District leader wants all of the countries to prepare a rice dish (I think because everyone eats rice, and it is fairly inexpensive to serve a sample to over 150.) It makes sense what to fix for India and Mexico, but I am unfamiliar what the Swiss eat.

I need to know how those of you in Switzerland generally eat your rice? All I have been able to find online is a rice tart recipe and some thesis type paper which says a rice cereal is the most common, but then does not go on to describe the dish or what it is called. Or do you just eat rice plain? If so, what kind? Is there a better option for a food that is fairly simple to fix in bulk? I am sorry about all the questions, but I think this is my best source of information! Well, I could head to the library, too.

Thanks for your help!

Re: Need help with a rice dish from Switzerland.......

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 8:39 am
by la_canadiense(01)
Hi Jen,

I frequent a swiss english forum, here is link that might help...
one swiss food is Bratwurst, bascially a sausage in bread.
Swiss food, from my experience, is similar to German food, lots of meat, sausages, potatoes...

you can also search in the forum, there should be loads of information for you. this is the first one that popped up.
http://www.englishforum.ch/food-drink/4 ... -tips.html



ETA: Sorry, I sorta skimmed over and didnt see the bit about rice. Aparently they use risotto a lot, smiliar to how they would in Italy, which make sense because Italy is next door. Or you could do a rice with sausages mixed in? hmm...sorry, not much of a help, I didn't see many rice dishes when I was there...
http://www.englishforum.ch/81123-post247.html

Re: Need help with a rice dish from Switzerland.......

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:16 am
by karen
I'm obviously not much help, but you have me thinking about Kasespaetzle, and fondue. Kasespaetzle is macaroni and cheese but with spaetzle (sort of a cross between pasta and a dumpling) and Swiss cheese. It's "OMG where have you been all my life?" yummy. I think I know what I'm making for dinner tonight...

I'd bet money that pretty much everyone in the world eats some sort of rice pudding at least occasionally. When we were there for the day it was pretty German in most places, but the south boarders on Italy- so there's some northern Italian influences in the food. You could probably do some sort of risotto as a fall-back.

Re: Need help with a rice dish from Switzerland.......

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:23 am
by JenW
Thank you! I will start looking into the risotto. Or maybe rice pudding.......

The mac and cheese variation sounds good, and I read about a mac and cheese/applesauce combo on that link. Lots of cheese...sounds like I missed being born in the right place because I love cheese!

I think the sausage looks good, but we can't really use pork or beef......so I am also hoping for something vegetarian. I know my list is kind of a pain, but I need nearly everyone in the district to be able to taste it and not compromise their dietary requirements/choices.....

Ahhhh, the things I get myself into. It is not the girls that are the issue, but more the organization of the person in charge. She is one that has great ideas and ideals, but little help in making things a reality. We will still have a ton of fun!

Re: Need help with a rice dish from Switzerland.......

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:43 am
by la_canadiense(01)
actually, the mac n' Cheese with the apple sauce puree sounds yummy! I love mixing flavours. And apples go very well with cheese (and wine. which I guess you aren't serving... beig for cadette girls and all...) so I think that would be an easy enough dish but with a nice twist.

besides this type of a dish, it is very hard to eat vegetarian there, most things are pork and meat...but I completely get your reasons, so this sounds like the safest bet.

The Swiss (and French) do great cheese...hmmm I Love cheese! I think I might have to consider this recipe one night as well.
the Kasespaetzle also sounds yummy! I think we go through more cheese than anyone I know!

Re: Need help with a rice dish from Switzerland.......

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 7:02 pm
by kaitie
I might be a little late to the party, but just for the record,
a traditional swiss rice dish would be easter cake: a yummy recipe

Another thing that's big, rice-wise in Germany and Switzerland (and Sweden) is "Milchreis", milk rice. It's ususally cooked with short-grain rice, and believe me, using any other kind of rice is an atrocity!

Not that I've ever done that :oops:

And now I'm hungry....

Re: Need help with a rice dish from Switzerland.......

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 7:34 pm
by JenW
kaitie.....

The Milchries is just what I was looking for.....

I did not want to invest the time in making the tarts for 300 to sample......

Thank you!!!!!

Re: Need help with a rice dish from Switzerland.......

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:18 pm
by kaitie
I'm glad I wasn't too late!


Milchreis is usually served with cinnamon and sugar or applesauce....or both. Or with maple syrup....but then there are no maples in Switzerland as far as I can tell. By itself it's yummy but a bit bland.
Most importantly, sweeten it only after the rice is soft, otherwise the sugar will slow the rice-cooking down, and it's gonna take forever...
I would recommend this recipe: http://dessert-recipes.suite101.com/art ... sh_dessert (just ignore the "typically spanish part :-) ), it's resonably close to how I cook it.
I hope you have fun making heaps of it!