Recipes for a Perfect Valentine's Day, Swiss Style

Graub&uumlnden, a canton in eastern Switzerland, is known for its dramatic Alpine scenery and winter sports. Four ingredients make a gourmet holiday in Graub&uumlnden special the regional cuisine from three language areas, the unmatched mountain scenery, the large variety of adventure activities encompassing everything from winter hiking to skiing, and the warm Swiss hospitality. Here are 3 recipes that will take you on a gourmet trip across this dreamy destination while you plan your real vacation soon.

Barley Soup

Graub&uumlnden's most famous soup is probably the B&uumlndner barley soup, which is well known far beyond the state border.

Ingredients (for about 4 people)

• 100 g coarse or medium barley
• 2 liters of water
• 40 g of butter
• 2 cubes of meat bouillon
• 1 tbsp salt
• 300 g pork smoked
• 200 g B&uumlndnerfleisch
• 150 g bacon
• 1 leek stalk
• 1/2 cabbage
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 celery
• 200 ml of cream
• 1 onion
• 150 g of beans

Preparation

• Peel celery and carrots and cut into small cubes or strips.
• Cut off the thick ribs from the cabbage and cut it into strips, slice the leek stalks.
• Cut the onion into small pieces.
• Heat the oil in a large pan and steam the celery and cabbage in it.
• Add the barley, leek, beans, onion and about 2 liters of water.
• Dissolve the bouillon cube and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
• Cut the meat into cubes and add to the soup and let it steep for another half hour.
• After the cooking time, season with salt and pepper from the mill and add a little cream just before serving.

Maluns

Maluns is a traditional Grisons dish. Maluns are made from potatoes that are grated and roasted with flour in butter. Have fun cooking.

Ingredients for 4&ndash5 Persons

• 1 kg potatoes, unpeeled, medium to large
• 10 gr (approx.) of salt, pepper from the mill, and spices
• 200 gr white flour
• 1 dl peanut oil
• 50 gr butter

Preparation

• Boil the potatoes in their jackets in salted water at least&nbsp24&nbsphours before preparation of Maluns.
• Peel and grate the potatoes.
• Mix in flour and salt mixture.&nbspMix the whole thing by hand until small lumps start to form.
• Put the oil and 25 gr butter in a non-stick frying pan. When this is good and hot, put in the potato gratings and lump them together with a pair of wooden spoons, until the ingredients are crumbly and light brown in colour. At the end, add the remaining butter. Serve the Maluns with apple sauce,&nbspcranberry sause&nbspor Alpine cheese. People often drink café au lait with this dish.

Capuns

Capuns are synonymous with the art of Grisons cooking, experimentation and imagination &ndash there is not one recipe, but several. This variation of Capuns tatta Albin is lip-smacking.

Ingredients (for about 5 people)

• 400 gr white flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 dl water
• 1 dl milk
• Salt, pepper
• 1 pair of Landj&aumlger sausages
• 1 Salsiz sausage (120 g)
• 100 gr smoked ham
• 10 gr parsley, chopped
• 10 gr green onion, chopped
• 20 gr horse mint
• 60 leaves of Swiss chard
• 4 dl bouillon
• 4 dl milk
• 100 grams grated Alpine cheese
• 50 gr butter
• 100 gr bacon bits

Preparation

• Put the flour in a bowl. Add eggs, water, milk and spices. Quickly make everything into a flat dough and pour some cold water on it.
• Cube Landj&aumlger, Salsiz and smoked ham or bacon.&nbspCut up and put together with spices into the dough.
• Wash chard leaves. Place a portion of the dough mixture onto each leaf and fold it up.
• Cook the milk and bouillon together, add the Capuns and simmer for about 10 minutes. Take the Capuns out carefully, arrange on a plate,&nbsppour some of the broth on and sprinkle with cheese.
• Fry the bacon bits in butter and sprinkle over the Capuns.