At Wengé, Sous Vide To Go

While wondering through Luxembourg this weekend it seemed as though every other person was carrying a distinctive yellow-green and brown shopping bag. These people didn't fit into any mold – they were male and female, old and young. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of place could attract such a diversified crowd.

Then, turning the corner onto Rue Philippe II, I saw the corresponding yellow-green and brown sign. Turns out the shop – Le Comptoir du Wengé – is an outpost of Wengé Restaurant.* Inside the display counter was filled with pastries, multi-colored cookies, quiches, and savory tarts. But what really drew my attention were the vacuum-packed entrées.

Using a method known as sous vide, which literally translates from French to "under pressure," these entrées are vacuumed sealed in plastic. The bags are then cooked in water baths for a long time at low, but very precise, temperatures. Bacuse it is cryovacked, none of the juices evaporate during cooking. The resulting dish is very moist and flavorful.

Though expensive – each entrée runs between €12 and €20 – I had to try them. As side from wanting to know what half of Luxembourg was having for dinner, I was very curious about the cooking method. In 2005 the New York Times Magazine ran a story about sous vide cooking in New York. A few weeks later, the NYC Health Department banned the technique because the food's internal temperatures never reached Health Department standards. Today, because of the time and expense required to create the requisite food-safety plan, few New York restaurants have resumed using the technique.

The take-out bags that I selected were braised pork medallions and chicken with wine sauce and morels. At home I reheated the bags, as instructed, for 12 minutes in boiling water. I served them with rice and a salad. They were delicous – just as flavorful and moist as promised. Instead of tasting like a take-out meal, it was as though dinner came directly from the restaurant's kitchen.

* Wengé, 15 Rue Louvigny , L-1946 Luxembourg

**Le Comptoir du Wengé, 4-6, rue Philippe II, L-2340 Luxembourg

De-Luxembourg

We spent Saturday afternoon in Luxembourg City. Often described as a storybook city, I'd call the capital of this pint-sized country more of a story-booklet town. But, as promised, it serves up plenty of atmosphere and style.

Two-hours west of Bonn (via the autobahn), Luxembourg is nestled between Germany, France, and Belgium. Smaller then Rhode Island, the country occupies just under 1,000 square miles and is only 51 miles high and 35 miles wide. There are less then 500,000 Luxembourgish citizens.

Despite its diminutive size the country has repositioned itself in recent years among Europe's power elite. It was one of the major instigators to the formation of the European Union, but its financial power lies in the tax advantages it offers residents of other European nations. Driving into the city center you'll notice that the road is lined with major international banks.

With the highest average annual income in Western Europe, the capital city is home to well-healed residents. High-end retailers, jewelry stores, and fashionably boutiques fill the pedestrian-only Old Town shopping district. The city also boasts more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita then any other city in the world.

In addition to great window-shopping along charming streets, there are plenty of tourist attractions. The city is home to a number of museums but we opted to visit the Bock Casemates. Dating back to the 900s, these are a serious of tunnels and caves carved into the ramparts. The best part of the city though was the views. The Grund, the area in the valley has gardens and paths that will take your breath away.