Lea in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a beautiful tiny country between France, Germany and Belgium. It's native language sounds like a mix between french and german (here is a sound example with german translation), and is very similar to the local dialect of my home state Saarland, which is immediately bordering Luxembourg. The two languages are actually more similar to each other, than my dialect is to german. Naturally, the food and local traditions I grew up with are also very common to Luxembourg, and all this closeness gives me a sense of family pride when I write about Lea Linster.

Lea Linster received the Bocuse d'Or in 1989 (look at photos from this year's challenge), as the first, and to this day still the only, female chef. My parents recently had the "Menu BOCUSE D'OR" at Lea's restaurant, and my mom described it as "Just perfect." I never heard a rating that simple, almost speechless and admiring from her - she has praised chefs before, but perfect? I'm stunned. It sounds like it is not only worth writing home about, but also very worth looking at the menu a little bit closer. Here are two courses of the Menu Bocuse d'Or, photographed by my parents.

LOBSTER
Cooked in stock, unshelled, served with a small salad, tarragon sauceLAMB
Saddle of lamb in potato crust from the oven, in itss juice perfumed with rosemary

Lea is a very personable warm lady, and inquired about me when my parents told her they would come back with me some day, and that they took pictures of the meal to send them to me - when she heard that I like to cook, and that last time I visited home was especially into all that local traditional food that you cannot get anywhere else, she got excited and gave them a present for me: her cookbook, with a really sweet note she wrote to me:
Here is also a link to some of her recipes. Her cookbook is on the way to me, and she told my parents that there is also a great recipe for kniddelen in it, which are known as "Mehlknepp" or Mehlknoedel in Saarland. I look forward to reading her book, rediscover this dish, and will try it out and report as soon as I got the book in my hands.

Until then, when you go to Luxembourg, visit Lea Linster, give her my best regards and thanks, and have a "perfect" dinner. :)