Midday Entree: Russian Mushroom Patties

The Music:

Symphony No 3 in D minor by Sergei Taneyev
Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Valeri Polyansky, conductor
Chandos 10390

The Recipe:

Mushrooms have always been a staple of eastern European cuisine, and here's a novel Russian variation.

As described by RussianFoods.com, this is "a perfect dish for any occasion. It can be a wonderful breakfast with tea, or a rich snack at lunch time or even a perfect complement to soup for dinner. Mushrooms are the beloved dainty of the Russians."

(I think they meant beloved "delicacy," not "dainty.")

Get started by clicking here.

Midday Entree: Peach Raspberry Kuchen

The Music:

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, by Ludwig van Beethoven
Leon Fleisher, piano; Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, conductor
Sony 47658

The Recipe:

This one reminds me a bit of a fruit flan, and it's a very nice, elegant way to finish any meal.

Get the details by clicking here.

Midday Entree: English Chocolate Chip Scones

The Music:

Violin Concerto in g by Sir Arthur Somervell
Anthony Marwood, violin; BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins, conductor
Hyperion 67420

The Recipe:

As described on the AllRecipes website, "These scrumptious scones will make you feel like you're Queen for a day! The chocolate chips make them very tasty but the orange juice makes them special. Serve with clotted cream or lemon curd."

Check out the details by clicking here.

Midday Entree: Lasagna for Meat, Seafood, and/or Vegetable Lovers

The Music:

Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 6, by Nicolo Paganini
Hilary Hahn, violin; Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Eiji Oue, conductor
Deutsche Grammophon 7188

The Recipes:

That's right, we said "recipes." Not a big meat lover? Then try the seafood lasagna recipe (pictured). Vegetables more your taste? Then scroll down a bit further for the vegetarian variant.

Three for one, today only, by clicking here.

Buon appetito, and thanks for listening.

Midday Entree: Bacon Wrapped Rosemary Trout

The Music:

Piano Quintet in A, D667, "Trout," by Franz Schubert
Zoltan Kocsis, piano; Ferenc Csontos, bass; members of the Takacs Quartet
Hungaraton 12918

The Recipe:

You were expecting maybe pulled pork? No way.

Soon enough, anglers all over the area will be spending many serene hours in their favorite trout streams.

Some will actually catch something.

If you happen to get lucky, perhaps this recipe will catch your fancy. To check it out, just click here.

Midday Entree: Duck a L'orange

The Music:

Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev
Royal Philharmonic, Andre Previn, narrator and conductor
Telarc 80126

The Recipe:

Sorry, we just couldn't resist. And no, we didn't get this recipe from the Wolf, but it sure does look tasty.

Check it out by clicking here.

In Performance: The Dennis Tini Quartet

Date: April 22, 2009
Location: Steinway Piano Gallery, Commerce Township

What sets this group apart for me is how every one of the players is a supremely talented equal partner in the proceedings. Dennis also put together a wide-ranging set that left me completely satisfied.


From L to R: Dennis Tini, piano; Jeff Halsey, bass; Robert Tye, guitar. Not Pictured: Dave Taylor, drums

Midday Entree: Paris Bistro Vanilla Cream

The Music:

Symphony No. 2 in E, Op. 6, by Alberic Magnard
BBC Scottish Symphony, Jean-Yves Ossonce, conductor
Hyperion 67030

The Recipe:

Straight from the City of Light, here's a classic bistro dessert Parisians call "Petit Pot de Crème à la Vanille." Just a few key ingredients, but oh so cosmopolitan.

Try it out by clicking here.

Midday Entree: Israeli Felafel

The Music:

Symphony No. 4 by Johannes Brahms
Israel Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta, conductor
Sony 53279

The Recipe:

From the Outdoor Cooking website, "Felafel comes in many shapes and sizes - sometimes a small ball, and sometimes a flat burger, and indeed anything in between. And when you make it yourself, you get to determine the shape and size.

"Of all chickpea recipes, this exquisite Middle Eastern street food is second in popularity only to hummus, another popular chickpea recipe, and with which it is often served (in the Israeli variation anyway)."

Get the details by clicking here.

Midday Entree: French Onion Soup

The Music:

Images for Orchestra by Claude Debussy
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Deutsche Grammophon B0000549

The Recipe:

A French classic that's just what the doctor ordered to cure these chilly, rainy, blah days. Take it step by step by clicking here.

Bon appetit, and thanks for listening.

Midday Entree: English Cottage Loaf

The Music:

Symphony No. 3, A Pastoral Symphony, by Ralph Vaughan Williams
London Symphony Orchestra, Bryden Thomson, conductor
Chandos 9088

The Recipe:

As described on the RecipeZaar website, "Just the shape of this traditional loaf of bread is reminiscent of ploughman's lunches and warm cottage kitchens! A delightfully shaped loaf of bread, which represents all that is rustic and rural in Britain, but especially England. This bread keeps well and makes lovely, if odd shaped sandwiches!"

A couple of pointers: 500g of flour is about 4 1/2 cups, and 325 ml of milk is approximately 1 1/3 cups. Get the complete lowdown by clicking here.

Midday Entree: Chicken Kiev

The Music:

Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16, by Sergei Prokofiev
Alexander Toradze, piano; Kirov Orchestra, Valery Gergiev, conductor
Philips 462 048

The Recipe:

From the website allrecipes.com, "This fantastic Russian Chicken Kiev recipe has been my family favorite for the past 30 years. It is reasonably easy to prepare and is worth the time."

Start cookin' by clicking here.

Prijatnogo appetita, and thanks for listening.

Midday Entree: Austrian Chocolate Balls

The Music:

Violin Concerto in D major by Franz Clement
Rachel Barton Pine, violin; Royal Philharmonic, Jose Serebrier, conductor
Cedille 106

The Recipe:

Time for an Austrian confection. Some chocolate, some nuts, a few other common kitchen ingredients, and Presto! You're a hero.

Find out how by clicking here.

Midday Entree: Heidelberg Meatloaf

The Music:

Piano Trio in B-flat major, D. 898, by Franz Schubert
Beaux Arts Trio
Philips 438700

The Recipe:

Nothing like a good old-fashioned college town meatloaf recipe to get those salivary juices flowing. This one's simple too. Just mix up the ingredients, fill up your loaf pan, stick it in the oven and take a walk for an hour or so.

Get the lowdown by clicking here.

Guten appetit, and thanks for listening.

Midday Entree: Rustic Garlic Chicken

The Music:

Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastorale," by Ludwig van Beethoven
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, conductor
Sony 87885

The Recipe:

Nothing like a brisk walk in the country to work up an appetite, and a savory serving of this Rustic Garlic Chicken may be just the thing to cap it off.

Get started by clicking here.

Midday Entree: Spiral Apple Dumplings

The Music:

Requiem by John Rutter
Cambridge Singers, London Sinfonietta, John Rutter, conductor
Collegium 504

The Recipe:

Now here's something anyone would love to see on their Easter brunch smorgasbord. And I'll bet they taste as good as they look, too.

Find out by clicking here.

Midday Entree: Rustic French Meatloaf

The Music:

The Misfortunes of Sophie by Jean Francaix
Ulster Orchestra, Thierry Fischer, conductor
Hyperion 67384

The Recipe:

As described on epicurious.com, "This comforting dish marries the simplicity of meatloaf with the flavor and depth of a French pâté."

Makes pretty good sandwiches too.

Get the lowdown by clicking here.

Midday Entree: Russian Potato Mushroom Soup

The Music:

Concerto for Piano No 1 in c, Op 33, Nikolai Medtner
Geoffrey Tozer, piano; London Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi, conductor
Chandos 241

The Recipe:

Sure, it's April, but with half a foot of snow barging in just last weekend, it's still not too late for a warm, comforting bowl of soup.

Give this one a try by clicking here.

Midday Entree: Cape Cod Stuffed Chicken Breasts

The Music:

Symphony No. 4 by Bohuslav Martinu
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi, conductor
BIS 363

The Recipe:

OK, I know what you're thinking. Here we have a Czech composer, an Estonian conductor and a German orchestra.

What are we doing on Cape Cod?

Well first of all, that's where Martinu wrote this symphony, and secondly this looks like a great recipe, featuring a wild rice and cranberry stuffing. See for yourself by clicking here.

Midday Entree: Salzburger Nockerl

The Music:

Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K.550, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor
Teldec 42935

The Recipe:

In appreciation of all the generous listeners who contributed to the success of our Spring membership drive, we offer this quintessential Austrian confection from Mozart's hometown. Get the details by clicking here.

Thank you for keeping the music alive at WRCJ.

Midday Entree: The International Cookbook

The Music:

Melpomene Overture by George Chadwick
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi, conductor
Chandos 9439

The Recipes:

Today we're trying something a little different. As we go in to our last weekday of the membership drive, why not think about getting your own copy of The Midday Entree International Cookbook? In appreciation of your donation of $60 or more, you can browse through such cosmopolitan offerings as English Creamy Stilton Soup, Russian Tea Cakes, Acapulco Rice with Chicken and Shrimp, Austrian Stuffed Pork Loin, and we haven't even gotten to the desserts yet!

You can make your $60 tax-deductible donation and select the The Midday Entree International Cookbook as your thank you gift by clicking here.

And thanks for supporting great classical and jazz music on Detroit radio.

Midday Entree: German Apple Strudel

The Music:

Alto Rhapsody Op. 53, by Johannes Brahms
Dame Janet Baker, mezzo-soprano; London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult, conductor
EMI 5627922

The Recipe:

The thing I love about this strudel recipe is you get a choice of taking a shortcut by using pre-packaged filo dough, or for the more ambitious making your own dough from scratch.

Get started by clicking here.

And please dear listener, remember us during our Spring fundraiser with a tax-deductible donation on-line or by calling (866) 909-9725. Your support is the life-blood of classical and jazz radio in Detroit.

Thank you for keeping the music alive.

Midday Entree: Estonian Cucumber Soup

The Music:

Suite Provencale, Op 152b by Darius Milhaud
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi, conductor
Chandos 9072

The Recipe:

Ah, but it's much more than cucumber, of course. Add some chopped onion, fresh dill, sour cream and a generous splash of sherry and we're talking a unique and very tasty offering from Neeme Jarvi's homeland. Check it out by clicking here.