Tag Archives: restaurants

Port Wine & Beaujolais Poached Bartlett Pears

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Hard  to believe, but many folks have never come across a poached pear on a restaurant menu, much less eaten one. What a shame, since this is such a versatile culinary gem. In classic restaurants you would come across them as part of different dishes often, be it by them self with a bit of  Creme Chantilly  or vanilla sauce, or part of a cheese course, maybe part of a dessert , or served as garniture to a savory dish such as pork, poultry, game or pork. But now I suspect it has become old-fashioned? For me however, if it looks good and tastes good it will never be out of fashion, so yesterday I treated myself to this beautiful, decadent and luxurious dish. Later in the evening I added a good shot of “Schladerer Zwetschgen Schnaps” to the remaining spiced wine and enjoyed it hot as a night cup.

Life is Good !
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Port Wine & Beoujolais Poached Pears

Port Wine & Beoujolais Poached Pears

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Ingredient’s :

Bartlett pears,   peeled
Port wine,
Beaujolais
Cinnamon stick,
Sugar,
Star anise,

Method :

Mix port wine and red wine 50/50. Add a bit of orange juice, cinnamon, sugar and star anise , bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Let cool to room temperature. Add the pears,(they must be covered by the liquid),  bring to a slow simmer for one minute. Remove from heat and let cool down to room temperature. Serve with chocolate dusted whipped cream.

Bon Appetit !

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Schwäbische Spätzle Mit Schmelze (Swabian Noodles)

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” Swabian spaeztle with browned bread crumbs “.

One of the most common,simple, quick, delicious, economical and (in my biased eyes), one of the most beautiful dishes coming out of South Germany  (Swabia).
When I grew up, this was one of the more boring dishes for me and my brother Wilhelm to grace our dinner table, because it showed up with regularity a few times a week. Even today, spaetzle are one of the stables of south german cooking. But, alas, I have moved away from my homeland many decades ago, so now spaetzle have become a treat, truly enjoyed whenever possible.
Spaetzle are hard to come by even in German restaurants around here. This is probably due to the fact that more cooks in american German restaurants go by the name of Pepe instead of Fritz and have never seen real spaeztle, so what you mostly get are “Knoepfle”, not “Spaetzle”.
Knoepfle means little bottons, so they are a small spherical pasta, while spaetzle derives from “little spitz”, which means little penis. (Many folks believe spaetzle derives from the word spatz, which means sparrow and would makes no sense at all. Also, many Americans let their spaetzle or knoepfle brown while sauteeing, which is an absolute no no in Swabia!
So there you have it. One of the easiest and fastest pastas to make is actually difficult to come by (at least any good ones). Go figure :-(
But, there is hope ! Following is the recipe for original swabian spaetzle. Please note that there is no milk or water added, just AP flour, eggs and salt. In times past, when eggs where not as easily available and as affordable as now, folks have had to stretch the eggs by adding milk or even water. Today that is not necessary anymore, so just stick to flour,  eggs, and salt. With a little practice, it will take you less then 10 minutes to make about six portions.
Mix flour, salt, and eggs and beat the dough until it is elastic and forms large air bubbles. To shape the spaetzle, either use a “Spaetzle Brett” (spaeztle board) and a straight spatula, or, much easier, invest $ 20 and buy a “Spaetzle Press” online. If you are not so sure how to proceed with the dough and the shaping of the spaetzle, go online and check out one of the numerous good instructional videos ( But be aware, there is also a lot of crap online, so choose wisely ).

Fill the spaetzle press 3/4 with dough and press into boiling, salted water. After a minute or so the spaetzle will float at the surface. Remove to a bowl with cold water. Drain. To serve, saute in butter until hot, without allowing the spaetzle to brown. Top with “Schmelze”.

For the schmelze, melt butter and saute bread crumbs until golden.
(I like to use brown butter and add chives to my schmelze).

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Schwäbische Spätzle Mit Scmelze

Schwäbische Spätzle Mit Scmelze

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” The Classic American Diner – Does It Still Have A Place In Our Heart ? ”

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Dear friend’s of ChefsOpinion :

I would like to share this with all of you in order to :

a)  Help my friend Daryl to get more opinions about his new project.
b)  Find out how popular traditional diners are?
c) Find out what attracts today’s customers to a traditional diner?

Please, instead of commenting on the individual group pages, go to  “ChefsOpinion”
and post all your comments directly in the comment box and / or participate in the poll.

Thank you all  :-)

Image Source: Alta CollectiblesVintage Reproduction

Hello Hans,

I like to hear what your followers think about American Diners.

My next location is an all stainless-steel diner built in 1950 in Elizabeth, NJ by the O’Mahoney company. It’ll be attached to new-construction that will house the kitchen and a second dining room. The menu will be built on New England and American cookery with a high comfort-factor, but, leaning on contemporary taste and sensibilities for quality and flavor.

My question is in two parts:
1. Location – This is a question asked as work on this project progressed: how does the location of a vintage diner impact or limit the curb-appeal of the restaurant. In our opinion, traditional pre-fab diners are deeply perceived by the public as stand-alone operations. With this in mind, a vintage diner can be positioned in a strip-mall/plaza development in such a way connects it to be connected to the new construction and allows the vintage diner to stand proud of the new construction, giving it the appearance of a stand-alone.
2. Menu – Diners, in their time, offered food that was highly contemporary. Their ingredients and methods were of the essence of their age and, in the process, a style was born. The strength of diner’s cookery style heritage is so strong that to open a diner without including some of that style is commercially risky. So, if you had a vintage diner on your hands, what would you do to bring the classic dinner menu into the 21st centaury to meet the expectations of today’s guests?

I’d also like the leave open the topic of “Diners” in general. I’ve been working on this project for about 8-eight months and I have yet to talk to anyone, another professional or a novice, who does have a reaction to the idea of a Diner. So, let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!
Daryl
D.T. Mc Gann
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” What Does It Take To Earn One, Two, And Three Michelin Stars? “

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What  does it take to earn one, two, and three  michelin stars?
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Image Source: BlogHer

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Well, when I read this story by  Julien Vaché  on  HUFFPOST,  I thought of an article I wrote a few months back about  ”passion“.
After dealing with thousand’s of young cooks and culinary students, as well as with young “chef’s” and many so-called “culinary educator’s”, all of which proclaim a deep passion for the culinary profession, it did not take me long to realize that the word “passion” is too often confused with the word “like” .
While real passion exist’s among all the groups mentioned, sadly it is rare and hard to find.
Real passion often requires tremendous sacrifice. The story about  L’Auberge du Vieux Puits  and it’s chef Gilles Goujon is a perfect example how one man and his family have achieved their ultimate dream through sacrifice, hard work and perseverance.

My deepest respect to a true culinary hero !

Bon Appetit !  
Life is Good !  (Eventually, sometimes, for most of us, anyway  :-)

Read the story HERE
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” China Is Building an Army of Noodle-Making Robots “

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I came across this at “EATER” and thought my readers would enjoy this.
If these robot‘s cost only $2000, they could be a great, cheap gimmick on a coffeeshop’s pasta buffet .
Your comments please, or choose an answer from the poll below    :-)
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Image from “EATER”

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Excerpts from “EATER” :

In the face of rising labor costs, Chinese restaurateur Cui Runguan is selling thousands of robots that can hand slice noodles into a pot of boiling water called the Chef Cui.
Runguan says in the report below that just like robots replacing workers in factories, “it is certainly going to happen in sliced noodle restaurants.”
The robots costs $2,000 each, as compared to a chef, who would cost $4,700 a year. According to one chef, “The robot chef can slice noodles better than human chefs.”
News of Runguan’s invention hit the internet in March of 2011, but they’ve since gone into production and are starting to catch on: 3,000 of them have already been sold.
But why do their eyes glow, and why do they look so angry?
Read more and see the video HERE
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” Salad Of Vine Ripened Tomato, Avocado & Pepper Jack Cheese “

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A simple salad, two way’s :

1)   Food fotografie.
2)   As I serve it to myself in front of the tv  :-)
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Salad ingredient‘s :

Rey bread, avocado, tomato, pepper jack cheese, onion.

Dressing ingredient’s :

Olive oil, basil, garlic, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, cayenne pepper.

Related articles :

” For Offal Lover’s Only ! “

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Friend’s, by now you have probably realized that some of my recipes and / or pictures
are of food which is a bit outside the mainstream. ( Some of my articles as well ? )
Yesterday I came across this article in the huffpost which reminded me again how
far most of our young “colleagues” and their guest’s / client’s in the culinary world
have moved away from the well rounded professionals we oldtimers were trained to be.
It praised the new generation of inventive and adventurous and oh so clever chef’s for
using the whole animal. WOW!
When I apprenticed in the sixties back in Germany, we were used to getting delivered
the whole animal, or if this was impractical because of it’s size and weight, a half  (veal,
pig, stag, boar) or a quarter (beef). Fresh game was always  dropped off whole by
the village hunter, and two four times a year we slaughtered our own pig’s which we
raised mostly on food scrap’s from the restaurant. So, on most restaurant’s menu’s
you wood find cut’s from ALL part of the animals. From snout to huff and tail and just
about  anything in between was used for a well rounded menu, at small country inn’s
all the way up to five star restaurants.
So,  in this spirit, here is my take on Gizzards :

” Fried Spicy Gizzard’s, Guacamole & Totopos “
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Simmer the cleaned gizzards in red wine, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper until tender. Strain, dry.
Season with salt, cayenne pepper and garlic powder and fry until the edges become crisp.
Don’t fry too long or they become dry and tough. Season and fry the onions the same way.
To serve, sprinkle with cilantro and chili flakes.

Because I served these with guacamole, I did not need a dipping sauce .
If you want to use a dipping sauce, try this:
Soy sauce with scallions, lime juice, sriracha and a bit of rice wine and sugar.     :-)
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” Rose Petal Ice Cream “

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 by  on July 5 2012 in Desserts, Featured, Recipe

While not a prevalent flavor in the United States, rose is fairly common elsewhere. Across the Middle East, particularly Iran, it is used to flavor all manner of sweets. Ice cream is the only use of rose in food that I have found palatable. Rose candy tastes like grandma’s perfume to me, and rose scones just taste wrong. But the ice cream gives a nice rounded sweetness that is just right for such a delicate flavor. The rose petals themselves are not really potent enough to stand up to the amount of sugar and cream that ice cream requires, so it’s fleshed out with rose water.

Rose water can be found at most Middle Eastern grocery stores and at specialty stores. The potency of the rose water will vary from brand to brand, so you may want to start of by whisking in one teaspoon at a time until you are satisfied with the flavor. I used Nielson-Massey, which is pretty strong.

Rose petals should be unsprayed, or organic. The best would be from a friend or neighbor, as they would be the freshest. Otherwise try natural foods stores or a florist/nursery specializing in organic flowers.

Rose Petal Ice Cream

Using the method found in Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams 

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 1 cup packed  petals from organic or unsprayed roses (30g)
  • 2 cups milk (475ml)
  • 2/3 cup sugar (150g/5.5oz)
  • 4 tsp corn or tapioca starch
  • 1 tsp beet powder (optional—this will give it a nice light pink color)
  • 3 tbs cream cheese, room temperature (1.5 oz/45g)
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tbs corn or tapioca syrup (30ml)
  • 1 1/4 cup heavy cream (300 ml)
  • 2-4 tsp rose water (10-20ml)

Method

  1. First, get your bowls ready. In a small bowl, whisk the corn or tapioca starch (and the beet powder if using) with 2 tablespoons of the milk until a smooth slurry is formed. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese and salt until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and a small amount of cold water. Place a mesh sieve over an empty medium bowl.
  2. Coarsely chop the rose petals. In large saucepan, toss in the petals, the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn or tapioca syrup. On medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Set a timer for 4 minutes (timing is very important). After the four minutes, remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the slurry. Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour the mixture through the sieve and press against the rose petals to extract as much milk as possible. Discard the petals.
  3. Ladle a bit of the hot milk into the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the rest of the hot milk. Whisk in the rose water one teaspoon at a time, adjusting to taste.
  4. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon freezer Ziplock bag and seal. Plunge this into the ice water bowl and knead gently until the mixture is well chilled. Churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Spread into a shallow container, cover with plastic wrap, and seal with an air-tight lid. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours. This will keep in the freezer for up to two weeks.

” 10 German Sausages To Know And Love “

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A helping of sausage gets you through the wurst day

by Jess Kapadia on FoodRepublic
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I learned a lot about sausage while reporting on
Germany’s Christkindlmarkts for Lufthansa USA.
I thought it was just a generalization that Germans live off them,
and that they had as many kinds of sausage as Eskimos have words
for snow (also a generalization, as I learned while researching
better ways to express Germany’s love of sausage). But it’s true.
They’re really serious about tube steak. And now I am, too.
Every region has its own particular riff on “sausage in a bun,
” like Nuremberg’s much-loved Drei im Weggla
(see slide 2) or the massive Thuringer, whose bun cannot hope to
contain it all. You can have your
sausage with potatoes or with kraut (hopefully both).
There’s a sausage for every morsel of every pig or cow,
as there should be. Here are 10 favorites I discovered wandering
around Germany’s outdoor Christmas markets.
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Knackwurst

Knackwurst, also spelled knockwurst, are short, thick sausages made of finely ground pork, flavored with plenty of garlic. The name comes from the German “knacken,” which means “to crack.” We’re assuming these sausages were named for the crackling sound the casing makes when bitten into, but it could very well be for their highly addictive qualities. Recommended served with sauerkraut and mustard.

9 more sausages HERE 

More about:

Related articles

” Braised Beef Ribs, Vegetables & Potatoes “

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Yesterday’s dinner. 
After that, I probably should not eat at all today ?     :-(
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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