>
>
>
Dear Friends,
After much suffering, my beloved wife Maria died yesterday afternoon at 5.00pm.
>
>
Maria Susser
1955 – 2013
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Maria Susser
Category Archives: Articles
From Cook To Chef. A Long, Tough & Very Rewarding Journey
.
>
“ Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. “
Dear Friends of ChefsOpinion,
When I started this blog in April of 2012, my circle of readers was very small and consisted mostly of friends and colleagues I knew already from other parts of life.
Now, one year later, the situation has changed tremendously, with daily clicks averaging between 400/500, on someday’s far exceeding the 1000 click mark 
Lot’s of folks stumble across ChefsOpinion by accident and have no idea about my professional background , where and what I’ve been and what the philosophy of ChefsOpinion is all about .
So, since I had so many inquiries lately about my professional past, I thought I should re-publish the following article of mine which I wrote mainly to address my students at le cordon bleu . It was first published at ChefCook.us about three years ago and was re-published here on ChefsOpinion about a year ago. It will give newcomers to ChefsOpinion a bit of information who they are dealing with when they visit my blog and might even enlighten some others about the possibilities and opportunities which present them self in our line of work.
Should you just start out as a cook and need a bit of encouragement, I wish you the best of luck!
>
>
From Cook To Chef. A long, Tough, Rewarding Journey.
An Open Letter To All Young Cooks.
By Chef Hans Susser
So, now that you have established that you want to become a Chef, let’s see how you can get there.
Many established chefs will try to warn you not to join our ranks. This probably comes from chefs who are tired of the position they are in at the moment or who never really made it to the top of our profession or are simply burned out after many years of hard work under less then pretty circumstances.
Keep in mind that for those chefs , in order to get to where they are now, at one point they had to be as enthusiastic, positive and full of dreams as you are at this moment.
The first question that pops up is usually: ” Should I go to culinary school?”
Until a few years ago I would have told everybody that this is a waste of time and money. Unfortunately these day’s, without a piece of paper which proves that you attended school for a certain amount of time, your life/professional expertise is useless in this country and many others. These day’s it is nearly impossible to get to a management position without proof of a degree or at least a diploma from a prestigious school, no matter how much actual experience and skills you possess.
On the other hand, one has to realize that to be a very good cook will only be the minimum requirement once you reach the Executive Chefs position. You must also be very knowledgeable in human resource matters, food cost, labor cost, design, union rules, cleaning, public relations and a myriad of other such things. Most places will hire you to fix those things, not to teach them to you. There is a reason the other chef is not there anymore. A wealth of knowledge and skills, patience and diplomacy is expected from you when you walk in the door. Most of this you cannot learn in a school. It will take years off acquired skills and knowledge to become the Chef that you aspire to be. So here it is : You first need to get your papers (diploma) THEN (maybe) you will be given the chance to actually learn, experience and practice what you already are “licensed” to do. “Catch 22″, really.
Don’t be discouraged if things seem to go slow and tedious at the beginning. Think of your culinary career as a kind of snowball:
Lay a small snowball (your Career) on a snowy hill and see what happens: Nothing! But push, push, push and it starts to slowly roll down the hill and after a short time it will start to gain momentum all by itself and off it goes to become a giant snowball ( your Career).
Here now, in a few words, is how the snowball of my career rolled for me:
I started as an apprentice when I was thirteen and a half years old, in a small hotel in the black forest in Germany (Hotel Wiedenfelsen in Buehlertal). Tough times. Hard work. Long hours, sometimes no day off for many weeks. At that time there were no “shifts” you were assigned to. It was normal for everybody to work breakfast, lunch and dinner. Eight hour workdays ?! Go work at a bank! During my first year I earned room and board and approximately $20 cash a month. Second year about $60 a month and during the third year probably around $100. From the second year on, an apprentice was expected to run his or her own station. (VERY few girls in the kitchen at that time, 1967). My secret dream at that time was to become a disc jockey as soon as I’d finish my apprenticeship. Thanks God my dad found out and gave me a few fresh ones to set my head straight. The next stations on my journey, as much as I remember now, were as follows:
One winter season as a Commis de Cuisine during winter season in Austria. (Hotel Alpenhof, Jungholz, Tyrol)
One summer season as a Commis de cuisine at the German seaboard. (Hotel See Schloesschen, Timmendorfer Strand).
One summer and winter (1972 summer olympics) as the lone cook with two helpers in a small restaurant and banquet facility in Munich (Gaststaette Zunfthaus).
One year during which I was promoted from Chef Tournant to Executive Chef at a Congress Center in Germany (Congresshalle Boeblingen) The Chef got sick and I had to take over – there it was, my first big chance.
After that I took a year off to live in Hollywood, California. (A whole different story)
Then, 5 years as a Chef de Partie with Royal Viking Line, traveling around the world. Working hard, partying harder. Making tons of money . Spending tons of money.
After that, back to Germany for some time, working in a five-star restaurant as Chef de Partie (Ratskeller Ludwigsburg) and then going back as Executive Chef to the Congress Center in Boeblingen.
At around 1980 I took a position as Sous Chef at the Manila Midtown Hotel in Manila, Philippines. I stayed there for a few years and was promoted to my first international position as Executive Chef.
From Manila I moved to Singapore (Excelsior Hotel) and Thailand (VERY extended vacation ) and eventually to Miami where I joined Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. During my time there as Senior Executive Chef I met my lovely wife Maria who also worked for RCCL.
For the next 15 years Maria and I traveled the world, living and working in a variety of Countries.
During my career in the hospitality industry I have held the positions of:
Apprentice, Commis de Cuisine, Chef de Partie, Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef, Executive Chef, Senior Executive Chef, Area Executive Chef, F&B Manager, Owner, Chef Instructor, Program Chair for the English Program at a Culinary College, Program Chair for the Spanish Program at a Culinary College.
I have worked in restaurants, hotels and cruise ships.
I worked in places where I was the only cook, in places where I was leading a staff of a few hundred and in places of any size in between.
I have lived and worked in such places as: Germany, United States, Jamaica, Grenada, US Virgin Islands, Pakistan, Brazil, Argentina, Sweden, Portugal, Italy, France, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, and probably a few more which I cannot remember right now. According to my wife Maria who keeps track of those things, I have lived, worked and/or visited 128 countries in total.
Not bad for a kid who left school before he was 14 years old and, after apprenticeship, had no further formal education.
During the past 25 years in the hospitality industry my specialty for which companies hired me was to open new ventures or to bring back the former glory that many places had lost. This made for some very hectic and stressful but nevertheless beautiful and exciting years, which I would not want to miss for anything. (The money was great too). I lived mostly in five-star hotels or other high-class accommodations, provided by the companies I worked for. If one works at this level, most companies provide a high-class expatriate package, which can include great amenities for the whole family such as free travel, maid service, company car and chauffeur, free food, drinks, laundry, medical service, etc, etc.
During the past seven years I have worked as a chef instructor at a local culinary college (Le Cordon Bleu, Miami). Life is good, even without the stress and hectic. Sometimes I miss the crazy action, most times I don’t.
Well folks, there you have it. It is all out there, just waiting for you !
All you have to do is work hard, never give up and understand that all beginnings are tough.
Good Luck ! Life is Good !
>
>
Link to pictures of some of the places I worked at over the years.
>
Link to more professional background of chef Susser
>
>
>
>
>
>
It’s a Chef’s Life ….
>
>
I saw this post by Mark Dale on FB and wanted to share it with you all
>
Chef Hans Susser
It’s a Chef’s Life ….
.
What you can expect from making a living in a professional kitchen:
.
.
What you can expect from making a living in a professional kitchen:
.
1 You’ll almost always have open wounds on your hands and arms.
2 You’ll never meet new people because your social life deteriorates into non-existence.3 You’ll find it hard to start relationships because alone time will become a precious thing.
4 You’ll lose your social skills.
5 Your sense of humor will degrade into the politically incorrect and socially unacceptable
6 You’ll eventually start swearing like a sailor and you won’t even notice yourself doing it.
7 You’ll turn into an anorak/monomaniac and always turn all conversations back to food.
8 You’ll earn a pittance for years/decades.
9 You’ll either lose a vast amount of weight or gain a vast amount of weight.
10 You’ll never ever have a tan ever again.
11 You won’t become famous.
12 You’ll develop a habit, whether it be coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, gambling, cannabis, cocaine, or even red bull.
13 Your feet will get destroyed.
14 Your back will get destroyed.
15 Your hands will get destroyed.
16 You’ll live in a constant state of sleep deprivation, indefinitely.
17 You’ll have to ask your friends to plan everything around your schedule, which is incomplete opposition with their availability, because you never know your days off in advance and you probably won’t be able to change it.
18 You’ll become of a very highly strung nature
19 You’ll become more prone to temper flare ups
20 Your awareness of other people’s lack of efficiency and common sense will increase and your tolerance of it will decrease.
21 You’ll spend the largest part of your life cooped up in a small, undecorated room with poor ventilation, high temperatures, a lot of noise, humidity, no natural light and no windows, with a small group of people who will become your only social interactions.
22 You will work longer hours than you ever imagined possible or thought legal.
23 You will spend all your waking hours on your feet, never getting a chance to sit down even for 5 minutes.
24 Your shortest work days will be longer than most people’s longest, and your longer workdays, which make up about half of your working week, will be longer than the average person is awake in a day.
25 You will not cook gourmet dinners at home. You’ll be too tired, and too fed up of cooking.
26 You will probably start eating mostly fast food and cheap instant noodles.
27 You will be the subject of abuse, whether physical or emotional. Officially, it will be as a test of character. In reality, it will be as a form of entertainment.
28 You will end up spending so much time at work that your colleagues will know you better than your partner/family/friends do.
29 You will meet and form strong bonds with types of people whom you’d previously never even have imagined sharing conversations with.
30 You will be in a constant state of stress.
31 You will never be irreplaceable and will be expected to constantly give 110%.
32 You will always be exhausted.
33 You will not be allowed to call in sick for a hangover.
34 You will be expected to place your work before any other part of your life in your list of priorities.
35 You will never be congratulated on your work.
36 You will be expected to treat your superiors as absolute masters and never answer back, try to explain yourself, start a conversation, or show any other type of insubordination, even if you know that they are in the wrong or feel as if their behavior towards you is unacceptable.
37 It will become very difficult to watch friends cook.
38 Your mum will stop cooking for you because she feels embarrassed.
39 You will be expected to cook for family gatherings such as Christmas EVERY SINGLE YEAR. Luckily, at least one year out of two, you will be working on Christmas.
40 At least one year out of two, and maybe every year, you will work Christmas, New Year‘s Eve, Easter, Valentine’s day, Mother’s day, Father’s day, bank holidays, Halloween, your birthday, and pretty much every other day of celebration on the calendar.
41 You will have to work many years in menial positions before attaining any level of authority in the workplace.
42 The better the restaurant is, the longer the work hours become, the more pressure you end up under, the more unhealthy your lifestyle will become, the more likely you will be to develop a habit, the more competitive the people around you will become, the less sleep you’ll get, the less you’ll eat etc.
43 You will constantly make mistakes, and every time you do make a mistake, someone will notice it and make you understand that you are clearly a subhuman because only a subhuman could make such a mistake.
44 If you are a woman, you will constantly be the subject of misogynist remarks and jokes, sexual harassment, belittlement and remarks about your menstrual cycle.
45 None of your friends or family will understand what is involved in your work and you will never be able to make them understand.
46 You will spend vast amounts of money on equipment, books, eating in good restaurants etc, which will leave you with not much money for other things.
47 You will develop a creepy obsession with knives.
48 If you are a pastry chef, you will develop a creepy obsession with spoons.
49 You will get a rash in your arse crack from the mixture of heat, sweat and friction that will not heal well, sometimes get infected, will mostly always be slimy and itchy and will be there most of the time.
50 If you are the right type of person, you will thank your lucky star every single day for the rest of your life for making you take the best decision you ever did and become a chef. And you will fall in love with your job and never look back.
>
So, would I choose this profession again ? YEP !
>
Would You ???
>
>
>
>
>
>
Frantzén/Lindeberg – Real Food, Presented With Class, Style & A Sense Of Beauty
>
>
Frantzén/Lindeberg, Stockholm, Sweden
Image Source: Wikipedia
>
Usually I am not a fan of highly styled food because, unfortunately, a large percentage of cooks nowadays loose sight of the food aspect in favor of extreme presentation, the ”WOW” effect.
On the other hand, when I watch this short video of “Real Food” presented as beautiful as can be at Frantzen/Lindeberg in Stockholm’s ”Gamla Stan“, I am vividly reminded that, despite all the wannabe’s, there are still geniuses out there who honor our profession with this kind of artistry and respect for what good food is all about.
My respect and admiration for chef’s of this caliber who make me proud to be a member of our profession >
>
The featured dishes are :
“Chicken Salad”
“Tartar of Langoustines”
“Small Bark Pancakes”
Watch the video HERE
>
>
>
>
> >
Too Much “Freshness” ???
>
Too Much “Freshness” ???
Watch the VIDEO HERE
>
When is too much too much ?
Do you think this is eaten in this way because of the ultimate freshness ?
Or for the novelty effect ? ( Probably)
>
>
>
>
>
>
Braised Beef Ribs In Red Wine
>
>
” Braised beef ribs in red wine with potato gnocchi and vegetables in curry cream ” >
I have prepared beef ribs in many different ways over the years, but , in my humble opinion, this preparation stands high above the rest. Just make sure you don’t skimp on the wine , both the quality and the quantity you use. Use lots of onion and garlic as well and stay away from thickening the sauce with flour ! Just press all the vegetables which you cook in the sauce through a fine mesh sieve, it’s the only thickener the sauce will need. The texture and flavor are just so much better this way. >
.
Braised Beef Ribs In Red Wine
>
>
-
- Braised Beef Ribs In Red Wine
>
Ingredient’s:
Beef ribs,
Merlot, (or red wine of your choice)
Tomatoes, chopped
Celery, diced
Onions, diced
Red pepper, diced
Garlic, paste
Scallion, finely sliced
Peanut oil,
Kosher salt,
Method :
Season ribs with salt and pepper. Saute ribs in oil until evenly browned on both sides. Remove, set aside. Saute carrots and onions until caramelized. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add back ribs. Add celery, tomatoes and wine. Simmer until ribs are very tender but not falling apart. Remove ribs, hold warm. Strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve, then pressing all the vegetables through with a bench scraper. Return sauce to simmer until it has the desired texture. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Return ribs to sauce to re-heat. To serve, place ribs on serving dish, nape generously with sauce and sprinkle with scallions. Serve with potato gnocchi and curried cauliflower/carrots. . >
Potato Gnocchi Recipe > > > >
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good ! > >
>
>
>
>
> >
Bone-In Rib Eye & “Stuff”
.
.
What a great early dinner today (I started work at 4.00 am, so dinner at 5.0 pm does not sound so ridiculously early, does it? )
This dish was very satisfying, from the potatoes to the beans to the steak. I Sauteed everything in duck fat with lot’s of roasted garlic and used some leftover duck jus to lightly mash the potatoes and beans with, for a great flavor and texture :-)
“Sauteed bone-in rib eye , with habichuelas blancas (smal white beans), potatoes, tomatoes, scallions and Duck jus”.
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
Bone-In Rib Eye
.
-
- Bone-In Rib Eye
“
“
“
100.000 Hits ! Thank You All !
.
.
Dear Friend’s,
I am proud and happy to report that today ChefsOpinion has passed the 100.00 hits mark. This despite the fact that I am doing this in my spare time after work and that 99.9 % of all the food featured was cooked and photographed by myself at home. When I started this blog back in april of 2012 I never thought I would be able to find so many like minded folks out there who, like me, enjoy and appreciate ALL good food, but are down to earth and truthful enough to admit that on a daily basis, REAL food ( and real opinions) is what we crave the most.
So once again, thank you all for your loyalty and I hope I will see you hanging around ChefsOpinion for many years to come.
Best Regard’s,
Hans.
P.S.
Next goal : 1.000.000 Hits.
You can help me by subscribing and spreading the word
.
.
.
.
All over the world, same crap……..
I think she is pissed and I agree with her………………
|
Perciatelli, Tomato & Poached Egg
>
>
“Waiter ! One order of Perciatelli, Tomato & Poached Egg please !
I wish I could order food like that in a restaurant around here !
Everybody seems to serve the same old stuff, (grilled fish with mango salsa anyone?), desperately trying to be “innovative”, “modern”, “on the edge”. But sadly, what I mostly find is mediocre food that has been invented and created a long time ago, then suffered a long and steady decline in quality and substance at the hand of badly trained cooks and so called chefs . We now find the most outrageously crappy food for even more outrageous prices in a vast majority of restaurants. I fully acknowledge that there are lots’s of great chefs out there but unfortunately, they are the minority in a sea of mediocracy or worse. How about some more top quality, simple, tasty, beautiful “REAL FOOD” . I would not mind paying top $ for a plate like this if it were fresh, good tasting, clean and nicely presented. Unfortunately, most “hip” folk’s think food like that has no place in a restaurant and it would be beneath their advanced eating habits to consume . (In public, anyway). While I appreciate as much as the next person food that is prepared and presented in an artful, unexpected, unconventional way, on a day to day basis I prefer great food which is practical and economically sound. After all, most of us have to cook the stuff before we can eat it. While there are plenty folk’s out there who apparently can run up a dinner bill of a few hundred or even a few thousand bucks a few night’s a week, most of us are not that privileged but nevertheless deserve to eat good (and, many times, much better) on a reasonable budget.
Perciatelli, Tomato & Poached Egg
Any thoughts on that friends ?
.
.
.
Ingredients :
Perciatelli, cooked al dente, some cooking liquid reserved
Eggs, poached
Tomato, chopped
Garlic, paste
Olive oil,
Basil, stems removed
Kosher salt,
Black pepper, freshly ground
Parmigiano reggiano, grated
Method :
Saute garlic paste in olive oil until fragrant, add tomatoes and basil leaves and saute for three minutes. Remove basil, add salt and pepper and mix in blender until smooth. Poach eggs in lightly salted and vinegared water to your desired doneness. Toss perciatelli with olive oil, cheese and a bit of the cooking water until a thin film of sauce forms. To serve, drizzle tomato sauce over pasta, top with poached eggs. Sprinkle with cheese and garnish with fresh basil.
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
.
.
.
