Sydney Baker's Latvian Styled Onions

Latvian cuisine

Latvian cuisine typically consists of agricultural products, with meat featuring in most main meal dishes. Fish is commonly consumed due to Latvia's location on the east coast of the Baltic Sea.

Latvian cuisine has been influenced by other countries of the Baltic rim.] Common ingredients in Latvian recipes are found locally, such as potatoes, wheat, barley, cabbage, onions, eggs and pork. The Latvian cuisine is markedly seasonal - due to pronounced four seasons in the climate of Latvia, each time of the year has its own distinctive products, tastes and flavors. Latvian food is generally quite fatty, and uses few spices.

Contemporary Latvians usually eat three meals a day. Breakfast is normally light and usually consists of sandwiches or an omelette, with a drink, often milk. Lunch is eaten from noon to 3 p.m. and tends to be the main meal of the day; as such it can include a variety of foods, and sometimes also soup as an entrée and a dessert. Supper is the last meal of the day, with some choosing to eat another large meal. Consumption of ready-made or frozen meals is now common.

Common foods and dishes

Latvian cuisine is typical of the Baltic region and, in general, of northern countries. The food is high in butter and fat while staying low in spices except for black pepper, dill or grains/seeds, such as caraway seeds. Latvian cuisine originated from the peasant culture and is strongly based on crops that grow in Latvia's maritime, temperate climate. Rye or wheat, oats, peas, beets, cabbage, pork products and potatoes are the staples. Meat features in most main meal dishes. But fish also is commonly consumed due to Latvia's location on the east coast of the Baltic Sea: smoked and raw fish are quite common. Latvian cuisine offers plenty of varieties of bread and milk products, which are an important part of the cuisine. A lot of popular dishes in contemporary Latvia come directly from other countries, at times as a result of their historical domination. For example dishes adopted from Soviet cuisine include siļķe kažokā (herring and beetroot salad), various dumplings, šašliks (shashlik) and many others.

The most popular alcoholic beverage is beer.A national liquor is Riga Black Balsam.

This is one of a number of historical recipes I am posting from Sydney Baker  that he used at his Restaurant “Sydney’s” in Cape Town. Sydney. Sydney Baker was one of the founders of Fair Lady Magazine and the Fashion Director for over 25 years . He died in Cape Town on November 30th 2013 . He was 80 years old.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons bacon drippings
5 large onions, sliced medium-thick
1/2 cup toasted breadcrumbs
melted butter
1/2 cup grated mild cheese
salt
pepper

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Heat bacon drippings in a large skillet.
3.Add onions and saute until lightly browned.
4.Place onions in a baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
5.Drizzle with a little melted butter.
6.Sprinkle cheese on top.
7Bake about 15-20 minutes, or until browned.

Serves 4