The two teams in the World Cup both have an excellent gastronimic history, so the choices are basically enless. I'll have a small group of around 6 or 7 friends at my cottage to watch the game and so have prepared an appropriate menu for the occasion:


The Soup Course: French Vichyssoise Soup


Contrary to popular belief, Vichyssoise (leek & potato soup) does not have to be served cold, but it tastes great either way. Personally, I'll be serving it as a warm starter an hour and a half before kick-off.


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter

3 leeks, bulb only, sliced into rings
1 onion, sliced

5 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 bay leaf
5 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Makes 6 relatively small servings


Directions:

In a large stock pot melt butter over low heat. Add leeks and onion, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme, marjoram, bay leaf and stir well. Cover pot and continue to cook for 12 minutes.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, partially covered for 30 minutes.
Puree soup in blender or food processor and cool.

Prior to serving add cream. If you are serving this soup warm you need to reheat the soup slowly so that the cream does not change consistency.
Serve with baguettes.

Follow up:

The Pasta Course: Classic Italian Sausage Pasta
As this meal is partially Italian, it seems appropriate to have a pasta course. I've gone for a simple sausage pasta as its straghtforward enough to prepare, while I'm working on the main course. This course will be served an hour before kick-off.


Ingredients:

1 package of Durum Pasta (your choice of style - I like Linguini)
8 links of good quality Italian sausage, thinly sliced

2 bell peppers, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into strips

8oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup red wine
2 1/2 cups marinara

Serves 6, but again relatively small servings


Directions:
In large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add sausage, peppers, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes on high heat.

Add red wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Add marinara. Heat thoroughly and toss with warm pasta. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese.


Mid-Match Snack: Italian Crackers
Keep it simple, you don't want too much fuss while your watching the game.

Ingredients:
1 (9 oz.) box Ritz-type crackers

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 pkg. Zesty Italian salad dressing mix

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place crackers in a large shallow baking pan in a small bowl, combine butter, salad dressing mix, Worcestershire, and salt. Pour butter mixture over crackers, stir well. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Pour onto waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container.


The Main Course: French Boeuf Bourgignon

This course will be served after the match is over, it should be accompanied by a good, full-bodies red wine.


Ingredients:
3 lbs. beef cut into chunks (not small cubes)

1 bottle of red wine (full-bodied)
2 onions, chopped finely

6 chopped cloves of garlic
4 bay leaves

12 fresh green peppercorns (ground black pepper can be used instead)
Olive oil

3/4lb. bacon in strips or cubes
About 25 pearl onions

8 medium sized carrots
1/3 cup (70 ml) all purpose flour

2 tablespoon (17 ml) tomato paste
Serves 6 comfortably


Directions:

Marinate the beef for at least 4 hours (best over night) in the red wine mixed with the chopped onion, garlic, bay leaves and fresh peppercorns.
Remove the meat from the marinade and dry with paper towel.

In a large pan:
Fry bacon in oil until slightly browned. Place bacon in a large ovenproof casserole. Then brown the pearl onions and cubed carrots in the pan and add to casserole.

Then brown the meat in the pan. Depending on the size of the pan (i.e. if it is not possible to fit all the meat into the pan), do the meat in batches and store the meat already browned temporarily in a large dish.
When all the meat has been browned, put it all into the pan, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flower and mix well while continuing to brown (approx. 5 minutes) then add bit by bit the red wine marinade including onions, garlic, bay leaves and fresh peppercorns and last but not least the tomato paste. Add to casserole and mix carefully with bacon and pearl onions.

Cook for 2 1/2 hours (or until tender) in oven at 180 Celsius (275 Fahrenheit).
Serve with boiled new potatoes.


Dessert: Argentinian Dulce de Leche

The referee for the final is the Argentinian, Elizondo. out of respect to him, we'll be making an Argentine dessert.


Ingredients:
1 gallon milk

1 vanilla bean
4 1/2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda


Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and strain through cheesecloth. Return to pan.

Cut vanilla bean in half and pour the seeds in the milk. Stir in the sugar and replace the pan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Just as the milk mixture begins to boil, stir in the baking soda. Reduce the heat to medium, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. When a wooden spoon drawn through the mixture leaves the bottom of the pan visible, and the mixture is light brown in color, remove the pan from the heat.
Place the pan in an ice bath and stir constantly until dulce de leche is cold. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Pour into sterile jars, and store in the refrigerator.

Serve over bananas or mixed fruit. Some like it over plain cakess, while others eatit in a cone, like an ice-cream.