WARM UP VALENTINE'S WITH HOT CHOCOLATE

Viennese Hot Chocolate (Credit: Viking)

With all kinds of promotions touting love and romance tied to Valentine's Day, we've taken a page from Viking River Cruises to pay our homage to Cupid. After all, what says romance more than chocolate? In this case, Viking's own recipe for Viennese Hot Chocolate. Viking credits Reiner Marks, "who prepared this drink aboard Viking River Cruises ships in Europe many times."

Ingredients:

Seven ounces premium dark chocolate, grated
Three cups of low-fat milk
One tablespoon granulated sugar
One cup heavy cream, chilled
One-half teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract, organic if possible)
One tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Cocoa powder or chocolate shavings for garnish

CELEBRATING THE FOODS OF BORDEAUX

Credit: Viking

European river cruises are booming these days, and why not? Ply European rivers at a leisurely pace, step right off the dock at an historic destination, enjoy food and wine native to the region. One of the new itineraries in 2014 for Viking River Cruises is their "Chateaux, Rivers and Wine" cruise through France's Bordeaux region. And what says "Bordeaux" than a rich Bordelaise Sauce? In that spirit, Viking is sharing this famous recipe. If you want to try it, we can be there at 8. -- Gerry

Sauce Bordelaise

Source: Viking River Cruises

Sauce Bordelaise (bore duh LAZ) is a great accompaniment for any grilled red meat. Bordeaux wine is the key to this recipe’s rich taste. The author of this classic recipe is Georges Auguste Escoffier; it appears in his book Le Guide Culinaire, first published in French in 1903 and now in its fourth edition. Viking provides this recipe to celebrate its Châteaux, Rivers & Wine itinerary through France’s Bordeaux region, new for 2014.

Ingredients:

VIKING SHARES CABBAGE SOUP RECIPE

Ciorba de Varza (Credit: Viking)

New Year's is a good time to try a new recipe, and the good folks at Viking River Cruises always seem to have something yummy cooking in their kitchens. Here's a soup provided by one of their executive chefs from their European fleet, Reiner Marks. It's called "Ciorba de Varza
Ciorba de Varza (pronounced CHOR ba duh VAR zuh)" which they describe as "a traditional cabbage soup with meatballs, very typical of the Bulgaria/Romania region."

Here's the recipe, courtesy of Viking: